Melodies of the Heart
by Luna Addictus
Summary: There are things that only the heart sees, and feels. Seven girls will take the Seigaku regulars and Sakuno to a rollercoaster ride of the other side of life. How will this affect Ryoma and Sakuno's relationship, or lack of thereof?
1. Outsider

**DISCLAIMER NOTICE: As usual, PoT and its characters not mine, OCs are. : )**

**Thank you to the author of "Crimson Rose Petals for being an inspiration for my first PoT fic! **

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**Melodies of the Heart**

**Chapter 1**

"**OUTSIDER"**

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The sun was shining rather brightly across the oddly cloudless Autumn sky, birds chirped merrily as if enjoying chit chats in their own notable ways, and the dried auburn leaves fell gracefully onto the ground, waiting wistfully, unknowingly… a child's cry and a crowd's gasps and "Oh"s caught a certain Ryuzaki Sakuno's attention. She was walking alone, done from shopping some school supplies and tennis paraphernalia that her grandmother asked her to buy, her curiosity led her to the site though, where the cry came from.

Cheers from the crowd told Sakuno that whatever happened in that place was over, at least for them.

"Ano… excuse me… but, what happened?" she shyly asked an old man who was about to leave.

The old man gave her a rather toothy grin and answered the shy girl before taking his leave, "A young kid saved the baby! It is so great that in my old age I could still see the goodness in the young ones!"

Something told Sakuno that she must know who it was, she didn't know who it might be, but then again… it could be… perhaps… She pushed her way into the crowd, almost tripping in the way; at last, she reached the center of the stage. A young boy was being interviewed by the police, mainly because of the incident; though he had his back turned, Sakuno wondered if he was Ryoma. He was wearing a white cap, a white polo shirt with a single strip of color red right in the middle, and a pair of khaki shorts.

"Ryoma-kun?" she blurted out, taking the awareness of the young boy.

The kid turned around, "Ryoma… who?"

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"I'm so sorry!" a very flustered Sakuno bowed her head; she couldn't believe she just called a stranger "Ryoma-kun".

It was great though, that she sort of played along with it, not making Sakuno anymore embarrassed when she found out that she called the wrong person. She "asked" Sakuno to go to the park and talk about their "school project".

A girl, about Sakuno's age, shook her head, "Nah, don't bother. I should've taken off my cap when talking to the police." She took a sip from her boxed orange juice and stared at Sakuno, "So, do I really look like that Ryoma-kun when I wear my cap?"

Sakuno blushed a bit, "Ano… Chidori…"

"Kya, yare, yare… it's Tatsue. Kitami Tatsue, Sakuno-chan." The girl wagged her finger and smiled, "I do hope you don't mind me calling you Sakuno-chan, though."

"No. I don't mind, really." Replied Sakuno, "Ano… Kitami-san… could I call you… Tatsue-chan?"

"Of course!" she grinned, an ice cream cart stopped in front of their bench, "Fancy ice cream?"

"Sure." A merry smile played on Sakuno's lips, "I like strawberry…"

"Really? I prefer chocolate… mmm…"

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"Ryoma-kun…" muttered Sakuno as she Tomoka and Horio watched the regulars practice, though as usual they were more focused on the o-chibi of the regulars.

And alas, Tomoka shouted, "Sugoi! Ryoma-sama!!"

Unlike her feisty friend, Sakuno only gave a faint smile, she was happy that Ryoma was getting better and better with tennis (if it was even possible), but she didn't know how to tell him of how great she thought he was.

"Hey, have you seen Kato or Mizuno today?" asked Horio.

Sakuno and Tomoka shook their heads, and Tomoka replied, "Aren't you supposed to be the one who should know about it? You and your two years experience of tennis should be able to detect where your friends are!"

"Hey!" Kato waved; along with him were Mizuno… and a group of three girls, who did not seem to fit in the Seishun Gakuen High School.

The girls wore a white under uniform paired with a black pleated skirt, a black necktie and red jacket completed the "high school" look.

"SA-KU-NO-CHAN!" the girl in the middle waved, taking Sakuno by surprise.

"Eh?"

The girl in pigtails (ala Keiko from Yu Yu Hakusho) walked towards the braided girl, "Yo, Sakuno-chan, how are you?"

"Ta… Tatsue-chan?! Is that you?!" asked Sakuno by surprise, it was the first time she saw Tatsue wear a skirt, much less a school uniform since they met over a month ago.

"The one and only, Saku-chan." She winked at Sakuno, and turned at the two, "Er… hello?"

Sakuno blushed a bit, "Ano, Tatsue-chan, these are my friends, Osakada Tomoka, and Horio Satoshi, they're also Kato Kachiro and Mizuno Katsuo's friends as well."

"Oh I see, you must be Ryuzaki Sakuno then." Said another pigtailed girl (with light brown hair) who was with Tatsue, "Hi, I'm Sachimi Mai. I'm Kitami-chan's senpai."

Another girl, albeit with a shorter dark red hair (ala Midori from Midori no Hibi), introduced herself in a rather more polite manner, "Hello, I'm Nozomi Atsuyo; I'm in Mai-chan's year. It's nice to meet you."

Sakuno bowed, "It's nice to meet you too."

Tomoka did the same, and forced Horio to do it, "They're senpai, Horio!"

"Yare, yare, this is weird, my senpai-tachi are being polite," murmured Tatsue then looked over Sakuno's shoulder and saw the tennis court, "Eh, who's Ryoma-kun?"

"Eh?!" Sakuno exclaimed.

Tatsue walked to the wire and made a soft humming sound, "It's the kid with the cap, am I right?"

"Are you talking about Ryoma-sama?!" exclaimed Tomoka, "Why? Are you here to take his autograph? I'm sorry but I can't let you have one unless you're part of my Ryoma-sama's fan club!"

Tatsue stared unbelievingly at the girl before her, "But I don't even know him personally… hey, Sakuno-chan, is she always like this?"

"E he he he…"

Tatsue smiled, "Okay, I'll take that one as a yes."

All of a sudden, Mai jumped on Sakuno, her blue-green eyes shone brightly, "You're Coach Ryuzaki Sumire's granddaughter, right?"

"Er, yes?"

"Yosh!" exclaimed the over-excited second year, completely different from the polite girl she was earlier, "Hey, what time would she be coming here? Is she busy? Could we talk to her?"

"Oi, oi, senpai, one question at a time, Sakuno-chan isn't an answering machine, you know." Tatsue complained.

"No, it's OK, Tatsue-chan." Said Sakuno, before Mai stuck out her tongue on her kohai, "Grandmother would come by here about three in the afternoon, I'm not sure though if she's going to entertain any interviews though."

"Thanks, Ryuzaki-chan." Said Mai, "We'll be going now."

"Mai-chan!" the girl called Atsuyo exclaimed meekly, "Sorry, Ryuzaki-san, she's always like that. Thank you very much for answering out questions."

"No, it's OK. Really…" Sakuno could see Atsuyo's light blue eyes from beneath her bangs and found it rather odd.

"Hey, Tsucchi, Kitami-chan! C'mon, Natsume-buchou will kill us if we don't go back yet!"

"Natsume-buchou?"

"Our captain. Kitami-chan, are you going with us?" asked Atsuyo, in a rather serious tone despite her seemingly shy nature.

Tatsue glanced at Sakuno for a second, "No, I… have questions for Ryuzaki-gimi's grand daughter."

Atsuyo shook her head, "Fine then, I'll tell that to Natsume-buchou. Just make sure you won't do anything… rash, ne?"

"Yes, Nozomi-senpai."

Sakuno watched the two second years walk off from their sight, they were really… strange.

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At least, Sakuno wasn't the only one surprised by such appearance. Some of the Seigaku regulars had noted the act, even Inui was startled.

"Hmmm… maybe I should take data about those girls…" muttered Inui.

Kikumaru asked, "Nya? Is that for female availability for dates or something?"

Inui shook his head, "They might be spies from other schools, looking at how Seigaku tennis club is doing…"

"C'mon, just because some girls visited Sakuno-chan means it's about tennis, Inui-senpai." Commented Momoshiro, though he too was intrigued by it.

"Che." Muttered Ryoma.

They watched as the three girls separated leaving the smallest-looking girl with Sakuno; another figure left, who for Ryoma was Tomoka, since she was waving nonstop at Ryoma… as if he was going to wave back. Horio, Kato and Mizuno along with Sakuno and the other girl went towards the tennis court, when they were about to enter, the girl stopped.

"Hey, I don't think I'm allowed inside." Said Tatsue.

Sakuno remembered that non-club members were not allowed to go inside the court and frowned, "Oh, sorry, Tatsue-chan!"

Tatsue furrowed her brows, "Kya, yare, yare, Sakuno-chan. Don't frown like that. You'll have wrinkles at an early age and look ten times older if you continue that… Okay?"

Horio noticed that Sakuno blushed when Tatsue put her hand on her forehead.

"Okay." Sakuno replied with a smile so sweet.

"That's more like it, Saku-chan." The pigtailed girl smiled back, "I'll just watch from here, it's not like I'm going anywhere else."

Tatsue waved at Sakuno as she entered the tennis court, Sakuno replied with a curt nod.

"Oi, Sakuno-chan!" a familiar spiky haired Seigaku regular called Sakuno, who immediately went to where they were staying for a while, "Who's that girl?"

"Eh? Oh, you mean, Tatsue-chan?" she looked back at the girl who was now wearing a _pink_ cap, "She's a friend of mine… why did you ask, Momo-chan-senpai?"

Inui suddenly popped out of nowhere, "What school is she from? Is she part of their tennis club?"

Sakuno shook her head, "Their school doesn't have a tennis club, Inui-senpai. Tatsue-chan came from Daidouji Gakuen High School, and she's the same year as I am…"

Inui seemed to be surprised when Sakuno said that Tatsue came from Daigaku, he started to scribble out information.

Oishi, who seemed to be a little interested in the conversation, asked, "They don't have a tennis club?"

"Yes, Oishi-senpai."

"It _is_ practical for Daigaku not to have a tennis club." Said Inui, who now surprised Sakuno and the Seigaku regulars, "Daigaku is a very old style school, so normally, they will not allow such _new_ type of sports to enter their system. Though, from I heard they were going to start some new clubs… what were their purpose?"

"Ano… I'm not really sure, but they were looking for grandmother…" murmured Sakuno, Tatsue hadn't told her about this kind of stuff about Daigaku…

"NYA!" exclaimed Kikumaru, as if he's gotten a jackpot, "Maybe they'll ask Ryuzaki-sensei to leave Seigaku and be their coach-"

Sakuno stood up, "No!"

The regulars were taken by surprise; it was not always that Sakuno would shout like that. Ryoma looked at Sakuno beneath his cap, she looked almost like she was insulted.

"That's not it… I know… Tatsue-chan would never do that… besides… Tatsue-chan is already a member in a club… and it's not tennis!"

"Hey, chill, Sakuno-chan…" Momoshiro tapped the young girl's shoulder, "It's not like that, isn't it, Eiji-senpai?"

Kikumaru waved his hands, signaling that it was nothing more than a joke, "Nya, don't be upset, Sakuno-chan!"

The glassed senpai scribbled something once more in his green notebook, "Is that so? What club is it?"

"Inui-senpai!" Sakuno frowned.

"Yare, yare, such persistent guys." A sarcastic unfamiliar voice to the Seigaku regulars answered.

"Tatsue-chan! Ano… I thought you didn't want to come inside…"

Tatsue looked like she forgot something then suddenly remembered it, "Oh, yeah, I forgot…" then stuck her tongue out a bit, "My bad, well, gotta take my leave then. Excuse me." She curtsied as if mocking the act and hopped almost half-way to the exit when Inui called her.

"Wait! You're from Daigaku, right?"

Tatsue looked at Inui then at her uniform and replied, "I'm wearing my ID which says I'm studying at Daigaku… then it must mean I _am_ from Daigaku. Right?"

Oishi stared at her incredulously and asked Sakuno, "Is she always like this?"

"Well, she is." Replied Sakuno with a smile.

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A/N: WOAH at my attempt at Prince of Tennis. Disclaimer blahblahblah, we all know this isn't mine, etc etc etc… beware of Mary Sues! By the way, I am thanking the author of **Crimson Rose Petals** as my inspiration in making my first PoT fanfiction!

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	2. Welcome, Daigaku

DISCLAIMER: I do not own PoT, blahblah, we all know the rules...

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**Chapter 2**

"**Welcome, Daigaku!"**

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The interview of doom lasted for an hour, and Tatsue seemed to have the habit of staring at Inui ever since the start of the tête-à-tête with the data tennis man. The data gathering started around one in the afternoon, and it was finished at exactly two, how Inui seemed to know when they would be finishing was extremely puzzling. Sakuno had no idea what they were talking about, but it seemed that Tatsue would give satisfactory answers to his questions since the look on his face was… like he's found a buried treasure or something., his glasses glistened with an unknown meaning for Tatsue, but spelled doom for the Seigaku regulars.

"Thank you for letting me take data, Kitami-san." Said Inui, his glasses flashed. (How, I have no idea)

"It's alright, Inui-senpai." She bowed and left the senior talking to his self. She walked to Sakuno, "You know, Inui-senpai strangely reminds me of a senpai of mine from Daigaku, her name's Hide Emiko… the glasses… the obsession with data that it's so… freaking… disturbing. The only difference I could think of is that Inui-senpai is a guy and my senpai is a girl!" Tatsue shook her head, as if she's gotten headache or something.

"Really?" asked Sakuno, rather puzzled with Tatsue's actions. Tatsue was always making strange comments when she talked about her senpai-tachi, it was weird that Sakuno hadn't met them yet despite the fact that they've been friends for almost one month.

Sakuno and Tatsue stayed outside the tennis court, under the shade of one of the trees, they sat on the bench wherein they could have a full view of what was happening in the practice. For some reason, Sakuno could not help but stare at Ryoma, and whenever they would talk Sakuno would always talk about Ryoma, and then told Tatsue that Ryoma would always tell her that she's still _mada mada dane_ in tennis.

This made Sakuno a bit sad, ever since she's played tennis, Ryoma would always say that she's _mada mada dane_ in tennis.

"Kya, yare, yare, Sakuno-chan." Mumbled Tatsue, "It just means you have to practice more, that's all."

"But still… it was Ryoma-kun who would always tell me that…"

"Yare, yare, don't make such buzz about stuff like that. I'm still mada mada dane in kendo too, but we don't have to feel bad about it, instead, we'll just have to work harder."

"Tatsue-chan…"

"Then, we'll no longer be mada mada dane, right, Sakuno-chan?"

Somehow, Sakuno felt a bit happy; maybe that was what Ryoma meant… practice, practice and more practice…

"Fsssshhhhh..." a hissing took Sakuno by surprise.

"Ano… good afternoon, Ka-Kaidoh-senpai." Greeted Sakuno, who looked a bit uncomfortable.

They did not notice that the regulars had stopped practicing; Tatsue noted and even pointed at Kaidoh, oblivious that she said it a little too loud, "Your senpai looks like a viper."

"Good one, kid, he _is_ a _mamushi_!" shouted Momoshiro.

This of course, riled up the easily angered Kaidoh and hissed scornfully at her and at Momoshiro.

Then she stared.

And… just stared.

"Uhm… am I supposed to be scared?" she asked Sakuno, who even though she had seen her senpai like that was still perturbed by such actions, "I'll take that as a yes… oh my goodness, I'm scared." She rolled her eyes, "I don't like your nickname… _mamushi_…"

"Fssshhhh." He shot glares at her.

"Nice try, senpai, but if there's one person I'll be afraid of, it's definitely not you."

Momoshiro was surprised that a freshman, who for him, looked like she was a girly girl, didn't even budged her seat when Kaidoh hissed at her.

"Oi, Mamushi, looks like you've found your match." He grinned like Christmas had come early, pissing off the already angered Kaidoh.

It was around quarter until three when the sun seemed to be it's hottest, queer enough for Inui to record it in his notebook, Sakuno and Tatsue chatted their hearts out about what happened to them last Saturday, how Sakuno aced her Math exam, and how Tatsue miraculously passed her English exam.

And just when they thought that nothing bad will happen, someone just came rushing towards the girls.

"Nya! Look out!" Kikumaru shouted at the two girls, who were missed by some inches by the runner.

It was Sachimi Mai, and she looked like death has come early.

"Kitami-chan! Natsume-buchou… has arrived!" her almost uneven breaths worried Sakuno, but the terrified look on Tatsue's face shocked her even more.

It wasn't like Tatsue to look like hell had come on the face of the earth, since she would usually tell Sakuno that it's ok.

Tatsue stood up, and turned to Sakuno, "Saku-chan! I'm so sorry, but I have to go! I can explain later, but I really, really have to go… or my buchou will have my head!"

And in a split second, she and her senpai left without a word, as fast as lightning.

Momoshiro with his uncanny curiosity asked the puzzled Sakuno, "Hey, Sakuno-chan, what happened to your friend? She looked terrible."

The puzzled girl felt like it finally dawned to her.

"Buchou…" she muttered, "Kya!"

Momoshiro stared at the girl, apparently surprised by the girl's reaction, "Oi, Sakuno-chan, are you alright?"

"The kendo club, Momo-sempai, they're… they're here!" she gasped, "I have to go… oh, grandmother!"

Sumire Ryuzaki, the Seishun Gakuen's tennis club coach, has finally come.

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"What's with that look, Sakuno?" Sumire asked her granddaughter.

Sakuno started to mumble stuff about Daigaku but it seemed like her grandmother knew of it.

An odd gleam in her eyes was seen by even the Seigaku regulars, "So they really came… it's been years."

"Years?" Sakuno looked questioningly at the coach.

In almost an instant, a number of twenty junior high girls in the same red and black uniform as Tatsue's lined up, split into two lines, with Sumire at the end of the aisle. Sakuno noticed the familiar face of Kitami Tatsue among the lined girls, but before she could even speak, from the other end of the aisle, four girls (or ladies, as the lowerclassmen used to call them) began to walk with such territoriality of a place that was not even theirs.

The girl on the most left hand side of her grandmother reminded Sakuno of Inui-senpai, though she seemed to be much more… relaxed than Inui-senpai. The glassed girl, had long black hair that was braided with an equally black ribbon tied for it to take its place. She must be the Hide Emiko that Tatsue told her about.

Next to her was a girl with a pony tailed dark brown hair, her gentle light blue eyes complemented her serious expression. Something about her having three earrings on each ear told Sakuno that she might not always be silent like that.

"Three… earrings…" she thought, then as fast as a bubble disappears, she did remember Tatsue tell her about their club's fukubuchou who used to wear pants when she was in her first year at Daigaku. Her name was Hanami Mariko, and if there was something that would tell it was her, it was a cross shaped earring in the middle of the other two earrings.

Sure enough, there was a cross shaped earring in each ear.

A beautiful blonde girl (with bobbed hair, ala Yumichika from Bleach), on the right most of her grandmother, smiled cheerfully amidst the rather tense atmosphere that the girl next to her gave off. The blonde had equally cheerful green eyes gave off an odd feeling that they were just having a picnic. Apparently, Tatsue wasn't able to tell much of things about her third senpai since according to her, she was usually out because of health problems, so she hasn't exactly met her yet.

The one that gave off the most of the tension in the atmosphere had long pony tailed black hair; her serious dark blue eyes gave off an aura of distinct strictness that at that moment would match their very own Tezuka-buchou. However, a smirk curled on her lips as they approached the tennis coach.

"Long time no see, Ryuzaki-gimi."

The coach smirked back and almost mockingly told the visitor, "You seem too serious today, Natsume, are you sick?"

Sakuno thought, "Oh… so she's Tatsue-chan's buchou…"

"Nope." 'Natsume' took her cool, "Just wondering if we could talk to you."

"Excuse me, Natsume. Tezuka," she called the Seigaku tennis club captain, "Dismiss them and go to the office with the regulars, and Momoshiro too." She turned to the girls, "You don't expect your juniors to wait there like statues, right? I have tea ready in my office; let's talk about it there after you've dismissed your lot."

"Of course, Ryuzaki-gimi. Excuse us." The kendo captain turned and clapped her hands thrice, the girls assembled.

The blonde girl waved at the coach happily and the coach waved back, she walked to Ryuzaki-sensei and greeted her a good day.

"Ayashi-chan seems a little tense today, isn't she?" said the blonde girl.

Sumire smiled a bit, "Maybe it's because it's about your school festival… I heard she's been skipping it since you were freshmen."

"Yeah, she did. She could be a lazy bum sometimes." She noticed the small Sakuno and waved at her.

"My granddaughter, Sakuno. She's also part of the tennis club." Said Sumire, "Sakuno, this is Sanyu Jun, she's a third year at Daidouji Gakuen."

"Ano… It's nice to meet you, Sanyu-senpai!" she bowed, making her twin braids whip a bit.

Jun smiled at her, "It's nice to meet you too, ano… Sakuno-gozen."

Sumire shook her head as if she was hearing the worst joke in the world, Sakuno, however, was taken aback by the address, "Go…zen?"

"Yes. Gozen." Her smile never faded, "You look like a little miss anyway."

"But… Sakuno-san or Sakuno-chan is… much better… I think…"

Jun grinned wider, as if she was waiting for Sakuno to say it, "So it's Sakuno-chan then!"

"Eh?"

"Ryuzaki-sensei, the club has been dismissed." The stoic expression from the captain of the tennis club never wavered.

"Ryuzaki-gimi, the girls has been dismissed." Another voice, from the kendo captain, reached the waiting coach.

"Let's get this joint meeting started then." Said Sumire, surprising Sakuno, Tezuka and the Seigaku regulars.

"Joint… meeting?" muttered Sakuno, unsure if she was coming with them.

"Oi, Sakuno-chan." Just then, somebody took her hand, "Don't tell me you're not going to come with us?"

"Eh?! Tatsue-chan?!"

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A/N: At last the second chapter has been finished!

PS, I really should thank the author of "**Crimson Rose Petals**" or I wouldn't have even thought of writing this fic.


	3. Flowers with Sticks

DISCLAIMER: I do not own PoT, etc...

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**Chapter 3**

"**Flowers with Sticks"**

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It has been ten minutes since they left off for the faculty room, and exactly five minutes since Sakuno's grandmother walked inside and asked the two captains and vice-captains to go inside. Sakuno couldn't help but feel a little funny whenever she would recall what happened earlier.

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"_You," Ayashi pointed skeptically at her two classmates, "stay right there. You already know what we're going to talk about."_

_The seemingly serious Emiko pouted, "KYA! You're so mean, Aya-chan!"_

"_I don't mind staying here, Ayashi-chan," replied Jun, who was busy looking at the passers-by._

"_Eh, Aya-chan, I think we should go inside already… Ryuzaki-gimi is waiting." _

"_Just some seconds, Jun-kun." She glared at her classmates, "Look after the juniors."_

_The two gave rather mischievous grins, "Yes, Ayashi-chan!"_

_She closed the door._

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The two clubs waited outside, without their captains or vice-captains, yet, no one seemed to ask the other clubs anything. The only thing heard at that time were pens scratching and scribbling on papers.

"You're the Seigaku regular tennis players, aren't you?" asked Emiko, twirling her pen with her fingers.

Inui snapped at her, "Obviously, since we're the ones here."

"Good point. Not only Seigaku players are good in tennis, they're smart too." Smirked Emiko, glasses glistening, as if mocking the ability of the Seigaku players; she continued to twirl the black pen, and continued to ask a question, "Do you have any plans in your life other than playing tennis?"

Jun stopped staring at the strangers passing by and seemed to be interested at the heated debate-to-be between the two data gatherers. Sakuno heard Kikumaru say something like asking too much, and also heard Ryoma grunt a bit.

"Or… is it that tennis is your only life?" a wicked smirk played on her lips, apparently enjoying the fact that some of Seigaku's regulars had started to fidget uncomfortably, "What boring lives you-"

SLAM!

The office door opened and a black haired demon appeared, holding a hardbound book and swung it… hitting Emiko squarely on the head, who was able to lessen the impact by leaning back.

But it hit her nonetheless, causing a trickle of blood come out from her nose. (comically though)

"AYA!" shouted Mariko from inside the room.

It was indeed the kendo club's captain who threw the book, and she looked really, really pissed off.

"Emi-chan, shut up, please, for kami's sake. Shut up. Don't try to ask those questions again… especially to strangers who have no idea of how your weird brain works. Got it?"

"Got it."

Emiko gave her a "thumbs up" despite her injury, though the act made their juniors cover their faces in utter humiliation. (This, the Seigaku regulars had noticed) When their captain finally closed the door, Emiko took a white handkerchief and began to wipe off the blood that came from her nose.

"We should take you to the clinic." Said Inui, but Jun said that it was better if they don't.

"But she's bleeding." Momoshiro pointed at the bloodied handkerchief.

"No it's okay, really." Said Emiko, "Aya-chan was so nervous today, that's why."

"Eh?!" they stared at the glassed girl with odd looks.

Jun giggled, "Emi-chan only wanted her to become normal again, that's why. Aya-chan was never this silent in a normal situation."

"But this isn't a normal situation, isn't it, Sanyu-senpai?" asked Atsuyo, "Ryuzaki-sensei… she's great, isn't she? No wonder Natsume-buchou was so nervous… she… didn't want to screw up."

"As usual." Muttered Tatsue.

"Nervous?" asked Sakuno, "She was nervous?"

Emiko seemed to be pretty much normal again that she piped up once again, "Of course she was! Didn't you know that Ryuzaki-gimi graduated at our senior high school division?"

"Nya? Sakuno-chan, your grandmother was a Daigaku student?" exclaimed Kikumaru, "Why didn't she tell us?"

"She… was?" Sakuno looked questioningly at the female senpai.

Emiko seemed surprised, "You didn't know?"

Sakuno replied with a nod; unsurprisingly, Inui started scribbling on a small pad of paper. Emiko was doing pretty much the same, only she did with a pink pen and a pink pad paper. (Sweat drop for her club mates)

Ryoma didn't seem to be interested, but actually, he was also all ears of what was happening, this might mean a joint practice with Daigaku… but didn't Inui-senpai told them that Daigaku had no tennis club?

"Nya nya hoi! We haven't introduced ourselves yet!" exclaimed Kikumaru, and then proceeded into introducing his self, "Kikumaru Eiji, third year."

"Inui Sadaharu. Third year." Emiko smiled at him, this time it was no longer malicious, just a plain smile.

"Sadaharu, ha? Nice name." She commented.

"Thank you." Even though he made it seem like it was nothing, inside, he was a bit surprised. It was not always that you could hear a girl say a guy's given name was nice.

"Fuji Syusuke. I'm Eiji's classmate." The ever-smiling (and ever closed eyes) Fuji said.

Throwing his arm around the brown haired genius, "And the tennis genius."

Kakamura said with a polite bow, "Kawamura Takashi, third year."

"Kaidoh Kaoru. Second year… Fsshhh…" he glared at the blue eyed girl who did not seem to be fazed by his constant hissing. Though Sakuno remarked mentally of how Tatsue was surprised when she heard Kaidoh's name.

The ever noisy Momoshiro introduced himself and told them to call him "Momo-chan" instead, which was gladly accepted by the girls, most especially the two third years.

"Echizen Ryoma…"

"Let me guess, you're a freshman." Said Mai, smiling, though Ryoma wasn't sure if he was going to take that as an insult or not.

"So?" he retorted at the girl, not knowing she's older than him.

"You must be that good… getting into the regulars despite being a freshman." Emiko twirled her pen again, which seemed to be a habit.

"She's a sophomore, so I think you'd better try to be a little polite." Said Jun, who was looking at the door at that time.

Sakuno leaned towards Tatsue and whispered at Tatsue's ear, "I think I know now why you speak strangely about your senpai-tachi, Tatsue-chan…"

"Ahehehe… oh, (noticing that she should introduce herself) yare, yare…" Tatsue stood up and bowed, "Kitami Tatsue. Freshman, nice to meet you."

"You're the girl earlier, weren't you?" asked Kikumaru, "Nya! How did you find Inui?"

The girl wanted to say scary, but then changed her mind, "Weird."

"Nozomi Atsuyo. Second year." The quiet girl stood and bowed, "Nice to meet you."

The pigtailed girl stood up, "Sachimi Mai, second year, nice to meet you."

"And she's usually noisy." Noted Emiko, making the second year pout, "Fufufu…"

Jun then stood up, "I'm Sanyu Jun, third year. Nice to meet you."

Emiko closed her notebook and stood, "Hide Emiko, third year. Our captain, the girl who hit me without any grace whatsoever, is Natsume Ayashi. And don't worry, she won't get angry with that comment."

"She admits it most of the time," smiled Jun, "Our vice-captain is Hanami Mariko."

Inui's glasses twinkled as he scribbled more data, "I see…"

"Your captain is named Tezuka Kunimitsu, third year…" said Emiko, reading from her notes, "While your vice-captain is Oishi Shuichirou… Seigaku tennis club is so popular, didn't you know? We've gotten rumors of assassination plots from other tennis clubs already!"

"Eh?!" the tennis players gawked at the glassed girl in disbelief.

Emiko gave a hearty laugh and said, "Just kidding. But seriously, many tennis clubs _do_ want to get rid of Seigaku. And all I can say is… no wonder."

"Nya, what do you think they talking about inside, eh, Inui?" asked Kikumaru, seemingly bored of the monotony of the situation.

Inui looked at the two third years, "You know what they're meeting is about, am I right, Hide-san?"

"Ask me no questions, I'll tell you no lies." Said Emiko, "It's my favorite excerpt from Harry Potter. I hope it answered your… er… inquiry."

"You're not telling anything then." Said Inui.

Emiko smirked, "You'll know soon enough, you _do_ have the right to know."

Finally, the faculty door opened, revealing a rather happy Mariko as she winked at her classmates and a half-grumpy half-happy Ayashi who threatened Emiko that if she was planning to do that again, she will kick her butt. (Getting weird looks from the members of the tennis club, not sure whether they were blessed that they did not have such violent captain, or not because in turn they had a very… strict and stoic captain)

"Maa, maa…" muttered Oishi as he too exited the room, "This will be a long month."

"What is it, Oishi?" asked Kikumaru, who was interested in knowing what they had talked about inside the coach's office.

But it seemed like they were going to know it the Tezuka way; upon his egress from the room, he had the Seigaku team (along with Sakuno, of course) assembled, in opposition with Ayashi who had let her team stay where they were. Ryuzaki Sumire appeared and said the Daigaku kendo club's intention.

"WHAT?!"

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The day was Saturday, and as planned, there were no practice for both clubs. The sun was still young, and yet, Ryuzaki Sakuno had already arrived at the meeting place, it was good that she brought a jacket with her or she would've been shivering from the coolness. And it wasn't winter yet.

Sakuno didn't know how she fitted in the meeting, but her grandmother insisted that she should. She sat on the empty bench near the entrance, easy enough to be seen from four directions.

The meeting place was at the entrance nearest park from Seigaku and Daigaku, the Tsuyu Tei Park, Saturday, eight in the morning… and no late comers.

A capped figure materialized in her view, but she knew it wasn't Ryoma; the figure walked to its destination.

"Yo, Sakuno-chan." It was Tatsue. Unlike Sakuno who wore a sleeved white skirt (that was down two inches from her knees) under her black jacket and black Mary Jane (hair still in twin braid), the other girl had orange undershirt and blue hoodie paired with her khaki shorts. Her half-worn out blue sneakers showed that she didn't use her roller blades that day.

"Good morning, Tatsue-chan. You're wearing your favorite cap, are you?" she asked, then noticed it was gray in color, "Oh, you didn't."

Tatsue sat beside her, "Why? You missed that kid, Ryoma-kun?"

"Well… of course…"

"You sure got hit by Cupid." Tatsue shrugged, "Do you have a watch?"

Sakuno nodded, "It's fifteen minutes until seven-thirty."

They watched people and their pets enter the park, cars zooming past them, and even counted how many times they had seen the same person go inside the park.

"Oi, Sakuno-chan!" a familiar spiky head waved.

Sakuno looked at where it came from, "Momo-chan-senpai!"

He was wearing a plain white shirt and denim pants.

"Good morning, Momo-chan." Waved Tatsue, who took Momoshiro by surprise.

Momoshiro suddenly blurted out, "Who are you?"

"Kitami. Kitami Tatsue, Momo-chan." She muttered, resting her chin on her right hand.

Momoshiro bent over and stared at her, "Oh, yeah, you are that kid. You look sort of… different now that you're not wearing your uniform!"

"Really? That's strange cause last time I checked, my face was still the same whatever I wear." she countered coolly.

Momoshiro chuckled, "Ha, you're a funny kid, did you know that?"

Sakuno smiled, she agreed with Momoshiro, though she did not say anything.

"Eh? Me, funny?" Tatsue pointed at herself, "That's news."

Sakuno then stood up, a surprised expression on her face, "Ryo… Ryoma-kun."

"Eh? Are you serious?" Momoshiro turned his head too; true enough, it was Ryoma, "Oi, Echizen! You're not late!"

The freshman wore a white shirt, with a print of a tennis ball at the center, and a pair of black shorts.

"Momo-sempai," murmured the young regular, and then looked at Sakuno, "You're here too?"

Tatsue retorted, "What's wrong with that? She was asked by her grandmother, if you weren't listening."

Ryoma gave a cold shoulder at the girl, who didn't seem to mind if he did. The little prince walked to his senpai and began to listen to the latter's opinion of the proposal that their coach had agreed to do. Soon enough, one by one, each of the players had already arrived, the last to arrive (on time) though was Daigaku's captain.

She was wearing a white coat, black button-up polo and equally black Bohemian skirt; a white doll's shoes protected her seemingly tiny feet.

"Eh, am I late?" she asked Jun (who was in a very girlish attire of lace-like yellow cocktail dress and white heeled sandals) who shook her head.

"Just on time." Emiko said, who was also dressed to kill (though it didn't seem to mind some boys who were looking at her as they passed).

She gave out a whoosh of air, and stuck her tongue out a little, "I totally thought I was late. Well, I guess everyone's here… oh, wait…"

"What is it, Aya-chan?" asked Mariko, who had already stood up. (She was wearing a rather semi-tight long sleeved shirt, with a red print of "NBSB" at the back, and as usual, denim pants.)

"Eh?" she snapped out of her reverie, and started walking towards from what Inui murmured as the way to Daigaku's grounds, "It's… nothing."

Mai (in her black leather jacket, pink halter top and mismatched denim pants) raised her brow, "What's this? Natsume-buchou is thinking of something else."

Atsuyo (who was in a blue dress topped with a long sleeved white bolero) nodded in agreement. Tatsue on the other hand yawned, making Sakuno ask if she was able to sleep well, this question, however was heard by a certain black haired boy who coldly brushed past the two girls.

"What's his problem?" snarled Tatsue who wasn't used by Ryoma's attitude.

Sakuno on the other hand, felt a little worried, "Ryoma-kun…"

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The gates of the school seemed to be antique, yet it shined as the sun hit it with its light. The vine-filled walls added to the "oldness" of the school, and the old style lamp posts didn't help either.

And yet.

The Seigaku tennis regulars (plus Sakuno, minus Tezuka and Ryoma) gaped in awe. They had many large buildings, a two soccer fields, five swimming pools (which according to Emiko was exactly thirty meters long, ten meters wide, and ten feet deep), and a very large meeting hall.

"So this is where Ryuzaki-sensei will be introduced?" asked Momoshiro, in his voice there was a hint of almost disbelief.

"She is one of the best alumnae of the high school division after all. There's no reason why she shouldn't be recognized," said Tatsue in a voice almost saying that it was so obvious.

Momoshiro glared at the girl, it was not always that a girl could be as cocky as she was. Kaidoh watched from a distance, hissing, as usual.

Ayashi turned to the Seigaku captain and handed him a piece of paper, "Tezuka-san, I had divided the people in charge, I hope you don't mind."

"…" Tezuka read the contents of the paper, and then handed it back to Ayashi with a nod.

As Tezuka assembled his regulars, Ayashi glared at the stoic young man and crumpled the paper in her hands, "Bastard, he should've at least said yes or something…"

"Oi, oi, Aya-chan." Mariko tapped her at the shoulders, "he has every right to do that."

"I don't care."

"We have to remember that they're just forced to do this because Ryuzaki-gimi is their coach, and it would be a sin if they're not going to at least help." Mariko reminded her friend who was burning with rage.

Ayashi shrugged, "Whatever. I still don't like what he did."

"You're such a kid." Mariko commented.

"Shut up." Ayashi stuck out her tongue at Mariko.

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"_What?" the Seigaku regulars shouted in unison._

_Sumire wanted to laugh because of her student's expressions, "Daidouji Gakuen will be celebrating their 50__th__ anniversary as a formal school, and as part of their celebration, each club will bring an alumnae and introduce him or her, what he or she has been doing ever since they graduated from Daigaku. It so happened that Natsume," she pointed at Ayashi who was pulling Emiko's cheeks at that time (and gave off an awkward laugh), "was the one who invited me to be a guest."_

_Momoshiro spoke, "What's it got to do with us?"_

"_Everything." Jun smiled rather wickedly._

"_Every… thing?" muttered Kikumaru, Inui stopped from his data scribbling. Even Kaidoh stared with skepticism in his eyes._

"_We're really sorry about this. Coming up at this time," Emiko bowed, "But of all the other candidates that we tried to contact, Ryuzaki-gimi was the only one who would be… presentable."_

_Sumire finally laughed, "It's actually because Natsume knew me before. I gave her tennis lessons during a summer course years ago. It's a good thing she remembered, though."_

_Fuji muttered, "Tennis?"_

_Sumire laughed again, glancing at Ayashi, "It's a shame she didn't enter Seigaku, though. It would've been a tennis powerhouse for both men and women category."_

_Ayashi waved her hand as if saying 'it's a joke, don't believe it', "Yare, Ryuzaki-gimi, that's stupid. I can't even distinguish the difference of a Western grip from an Eastern grip."_

"_She can, but I guess she's too shy to admit." Mariko shrugged. _

"_Am not." pouted Ayashi._

_Sumire shook her head, "You guys have to help though, since you are the regular players, you should be the ones who will give the comments and stuff about my performance here in Seigaku as your coach."_

_Momoshiro stood, "What?! But Ryuzaki-sensei that's-"_

"_You can't do it, Momo-chan?" asked Tatsue._

"_I didn't mean that! I meant was… how about our practices?" _

"_Momo is right, Ryuzaki-sensei, our practices will be greatly affected by such plans." Kikumaru agreed._

_Emiko sighed, "That's too bad then, Ayashi-chan. It seems that Seigaku doesn't want to do it."_

"_That's a shame." Muttered Jun, "And we were supposed to feature them together with Ryuzaki-gimi."_

_Momoshiro and Kikumaru's ears grew large, "What did you say?"_

_Jun repeated what she said, smiling, "We. Were. Supposed. To. Feature. Seigaku. Tennis. Regular. Players. But since you don't want to, we can't help it, could we?"_

"_Why didn't you said so earlier, Sanyu-senpai?!" grinned Momoshiro, then turned to Sumire (with matching thumbs up and sparkling teeth), "I'm all for it, Ryuzaki-sensei!" _

"_It doesn't matter, actually." Oishi mentioned, "You see, whether we like it or not, since Ryuzaki-sensei had agreed, we will help the kendo club to prepare for the event that will take place in the next month."_

"_NEXT MONTH?!"_

_The Daigaku girls just watched Seigaku from where they were sitting, though it was notable that Emiko and Jun was obviously enjoying it. Tatsue still rested her chin on her right hand, bored._

"_Just think of it as a school event. I'm sure you will enjoy it." Said Sumire, smiling genuinely this time._

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A/N: Wow… finished with Chapter 3… I cannot believe this! Heart heart heart! And YES I know, Ryuzaki Sumire is sooo out-of-character! AAAHhHHH!!! I will die at the stakes! Nooo!!! 


	4. The First Saturday

Disclaimer: I do not own PoT.

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**Chapter 4**

"**The First Saturday"**

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To get the work done easier, Sumire had asked Ayashi to pair off Seigaku with Daigaku. One was to do the main job, and the other to help. When Sumire offered to have Inui give some information, Ayashi refused, saying that they have their own data bank.

Emiko gave three possible lists of pairings for the job. But it wasn't only her who made the decision of the pairings; in Ayashi's opinion, the final one was a little too… shabby, having her and Tezuka together for her was awful. She even commented of how it will be such a bore to have a too serious person as a partner.

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**JOB PARTNERS**

Tezuka Kunimitsu and Natsume Ayashi –_Planning and scripts_

Oishi Shuichirou and Hanami Mariko – _Master and Mistress of ceremony_

Fuji Syusuke and Sanyu Jun – _Cinematography and photography_

Inui Sadaharu and Hide Emiko – _Data collection and editing_

Kawamura Takashi and Nozomi Atsuyo – _Personnel managers_

Kikumaru Eiji and Sachimi Mai – _Choreographers_

**SPECIAL GROUP:**

Kitami Tatsue

Momoshiro Takeshi

Kaidoh Kaoru

Echizen Ryoma

Ryuzaki Sakuno

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Tatsue passed the note to Sakuno, who passed it to Ryoma. It won't take a genius that this special group was going to have internal fights.

"Special group?" Momoshiro read out loud, "And I'm with _Mamushi_?"

The nickname made Kaidoh glare at the fellow second year and hissed in pure spite.

"Oi, oi, no fighting here, please." Said the Daigaku fukubuchou, "If you've got the strength to fight, why not just use it in the program?"

Kaidoh hissed angrily at Mariko, who responded with an arched brow.

"Eh, where did they get this guy… he's scary." Muttered Emiko, staring at the angry second year, "Oi, Kaidoh-san, she's still your senpai, that's disrespect to a person who's a year older than you are."

Kaidoh then turned his anger at the glassed senpai, who received shivers down the spine when he glared at her. Tatsue watched him from the corner of her eyes and shook her head.

"Kaidoh!" an angry shout from Tezuka stopped the hissing viper, and gave a stern look at the kohai, "You don't want to do 20 laps here, would you?"

"No, Tezuka-buchou."

"Let's not get careless here." The authoritative voice of the Seigaku captain left no room for reason or pleading.

Ayashi stared boringly at Tezuka and cursed under her breath.

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It was the start of their preparation for the Daigaku Winter Festival, and according to plan, every Saturday of the month prior to the festival; Seigaku will help the girls in making the presentation of their coach to the Daigaku students as a model alumna who was able to succeed in her preferred path.

The special group was used mostly when the other pairs need help, such as when the planning pair needed lots and lots of papers, when the data collecting duo needed someone to ask other people questions.

In short, they were the errand boys and girls… though it was actually the boys who do the work.

Lunch break came and each pair broke off, Sakuno joined Tatsue who insisted that she join her because Tatsue didn't have any close classmates who were with them.

"I CAN'T STAND HIM!!!!" complained the Daigaku captain, almost pulling her own hair by her own hands.

Mariko looked at the distressed Ayashi, "Who? Tezuka-san?"

"Who else?!" Ayashi replied before finishing a plate full of fried rice, then ordered another plate, "He's… too darned serious…" she took a swig from her glass filled with cool water, "… with his life! I'm going crazy if I stay partners with him!!"

Emiko waved her green pen, "But Ayashi, you're the best planner in our group, it is practical that we pair you with a person with equal mindset."

"We don't have an equal mindset! He's all about seriousness! And me?! No, I am not! Mister Gaito, another plate of fried rice please!"

Sakuno stared incredulously at the slim kendo captain, it was her fifth plate of fried rice… and they had just started eating.

"Oi, Saku-chan, don't stare at her." Muttered Tatsue, "She'll be uncomfortable and not eat anymore if you do that."

Sakuno looked down at her food, trying her best not to notice that it was Ayashi's sixth plate, "Is she really… that…"

"Hungry? Nope. She's just a hefty eater, that's all. You'll get used to that when you're eating with us, which I think will happen a lot of times." Tatsue replied, minding her own fried rice (first serving).

"Oh…"

It was Ayashi's seventh plate, and she still hadn't finished complaining.

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"So how do you find Oishi-san as a partner in the job?" asked Emiko, who was holding a recorder at that time.

Mariko glanced at the Seigaku table, particularly at Oishi, "He's hardworking and very patient. I think we can get along, I think, I'm not sure though. He makes the job easier for both of us, actually, very dependable… but like I would let him be the game maker all the time."

Emiko turned at Jun who was looking over the pictures that she and Fuji took, "How about you, Jun-kun?"

"Ano… he's very interested in photography, I think I could let him do that part and I'll take the cinematography. What do we know; maybe we can work together after all." She said, showing a picture that Fuji took, "It's beautiful, isn't it? He seems to have a talent at this."

"Taka-san…"

"Who?" asked Ayashi.

"Kawamura-san, he's also called Taka-san." Replied Emiko, gaining a shrug from the captain of Daigaku.

"I… think he's doing a great job. It's just that…" she stopped, "I think we're more suited with catering than personnel, Natsume-buchou."

"Then who'll be our personnel team if you're not doing it then?" pouted Ayashi.

Emiko turned to Mai who answered almost immediately, "He's got really good moves, you're right, Hide-senpai, he really does seem to be good with his reflexes. Acrobatic tennis seems to pay off for me."

Emiko nodded, when she was about to turn to Tatsue, "Yare, yare, please don't ask anything. It was dreadful. All Momo-chan and Kaidoh-senpai did was argue. It was great that Ryoma-kun was there or we're dead."

"Really that seemingly cocky and arrogant kid actually did something aside from being so good in tennis?" Emiko took out a piece of table napkin and started to scribble something, "That's new."

"Ano… Ryoma-kun does know a lot of things… he's also good in billiards and bowling… and I think he likes science too… he's not all about tennis…" muttered Sakuno in defense of the boy who was not within earshot.

Atsuyo watched from where she was sitting, sipping her orange juice with pursed lips. Her eyes somehow told Sakuno that Atsuyo thinks that Sakuno likes Ryoma. Mai clapped her hands, "Kya! Ryuzaki-chan! You like Echizen-kun!"

"Ha? It's… it's not…" Sakuno waved her hands before her, blushing badly.

Knowing that Sakuno might reveal her little secret which she sort of tried to hide (but awfully failing to do so), Tatsue piped, "Yare, yare, Sachimi-senpai. It's not like that. Ryoma-kun is her friend that's why she's defending him."

She glanced at Sakuno who smiled slightly at her. It was bad enough that Sakuno already had meddling senpai-tachi in Seigaku (according to Sakuno, who didn't use the word meddling, but for Tatsue it was the best word to use) it would be worse to let her own senpai-tachi know about such. Not only would they be so meddling, they might do something rather risky for Sakuno and Ryoma's friendship. Especially that her senpai-tachi (and Tatsue, at an extent), doesn't know a lot about Ryoma and Sakuno's "relationship", or lack of thereof.

"Oi, stop that." Said Ayashi, who was rather ungracefully waving a pencil in the air, "If Ryuzaki-san doesn't want to talk about it, leave it to that. And… don't dare put that in your notes, Emiko." And added hastily "Just in case it would get lost or something."

Emiko frowned teasingly, "But Ayashi-chan!!!"

"Aya-chan is right, Emiko-chan. We really should stop asking that kind of questions to Ryuzaki-san." Mariko said, then turned to Sakuno, "I'm sorry, Ryuzaki-san, they're just a bit, eh… priers when it comes to love life."

Sakuno smiled weakly, grasping her skirt a bit, causing it to crumple at the hems, "No, it's OK. Ryoma-kun and I… are just… friends."

Sakuno knew it very well, they were just friends. Nothing more, nothing less. It was hard to accept it, but no matter what she does, it seemed like Ryoma won't be paying attention to her.

Atsuyo continued to sip from her glass of orange juice, her eyes staring at the liquid; she put down her drink and sighed.

Somehow, Atsuyo was feeling sorry for the freshman. Atsuyo watched Sakuno from the way she seized the hem of her skirt, to the way she talked like she was having a hard time doing so, to the way her eyes flickered with an emotion that Atsuyo knew didn't fit for a seemingly sweet girl like Sakuno.

She had to talk about this with Mai later. After the preparations, maybe.

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The day finished like an instant, Tezuka and Ayashi hadn't talked to each other, but it seemed that they had been able to make a decent program, according to Emiko and Mariko, since they were the ones who checked it. They still had to work on the scripts for the entire feature.

Sakuno heard the kendo buchou complain once more, "Eh? How's he going to make some scripts if he doesn't even talk?"

"You don't have to talk that much to get a job like making scripts done, Ayashi." Mariko pointed out, gaining a pout from the captain.

Thank goodness though that Oishi and Mariko had gotten along well, or the emcees would be uncomfortable on the stage.

Tatsue bluntly (and recklessly) pointed out when both teams were there that she thinks the reason why the buchou of both clubs weren't chosen was because everything might screw up due to the hell-and-heaven difference of the two.

This gained her a special day punishment from her captain, the punishment though wasn't told in front of everyone, but Sakuno (and Seigaku) somehow figured it wasn't exactly easy since the look on Tatsue's face seemed like death had come 1000 years early than expected.

Mariko opposed the idea that they were getting along together because he said that he thought _Gravitation_ wasn't cool (the four third years loved shonen-ai (boy's love) a lot), so Mariko got angry with him. Not to mention that Oishi had somehow pointed it out that Mariko acted a lot like a boy, statements like that (even if it is true) annoy Mariko easily. She said that if they got along well, then he would've guessed that one.

Fuji told the joint club that the equipments for photo-shoots had already been delivered, and that he could bring (and use) a digital camera that he owned. Jun also mentioned that the video camera was ready to be used anytime, and the lights, sound paraphernalia and even the voice recorder could be used anytime.

Inui and Emiko had told Seigaku and Daigaku that they had finished half of the data gathering in that day, this surprised Jun, who told them that Emiko wasn't exactly the fastest worker since she'd rather watch and see how things work out and if she predicted it right. Fuji commented that maybe it was because she was working with another data user, Inui, and found that it might be sort of a challenge of who was better. Inui didn't say anything, but he agreed mentally.

Kawamura had told them that Atsuyo had been able to contact some of the kendo members who had connections with the lighting and sounds (thus the reason why the lights and sounds are ready). He also added that if ever they needed catering for the said event, he could contact some of his father's costumers. Ayashi then excitedly asks if Kawamura's family had some sort of food business, the latter answered with a yes, making Ayashi smile gleefully and asked him if he could put the name of the shop, address and contact number, just in case.

Jun made a funny comment though that it might just be because she's going to go to a "food tripping" the next day.

"Food tripping?" asked Sakuno.

Mariko answered, "It's eating a lot of food in one day, and she usually does it during Sundays since she doesn't have any schedules during that day. Ack, she really should slow down on food."

"But that doesn't seem to be bad to me…" said Sakuno.

"She eats everything from the menu in one shop, then she goes to another shop, and orders everything on the menu, then it just repeats until she thinks she's full. She can be a very, very hefty eater, you know."

Ayashi retorted, "What's wrong with enjoying food?!"

"Kya! Nothing, Aya-chan!" teased Emiko, "But if it's you we're talking about, it's a different story."

TWACK.

Emiko had been hit once again, "KYA! You're so violent, _buchou_!"

"Shut up!" she threw another book at Emiko.

Kikumaru pointed at the two, "Nya? Aren't we going to stop them?"

"Don't bother, Kikumaru-senpai. That," pointed Mai, "is perfectly normal here."

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It was almost evening that day when they left Daidouji Gakuen.

Seigaku, Sakuno and Tatsue went back to the Tsuyu Tei Park, as what Ayashi "requested" to her lower classman, Tatsue, who seemed to be unable to say no.

"Ano, Tatsue-chan, it's OK even if you don't go…" muttered Sakuno, knowing that Tatsue's house was far from Daigaku.

"Eh? What are you talking about?" asked Tatsue.

Sakuno looked at her friend, "But your house…"

"Yare, yare. I told Natsume-buchou that I will go back with you here, and that's what I'm going to do." she gestured by waving her hand back and forth as if saying don't mind it.

"But…"

Tatsue put her hands behind her head, "This was my punishment for being so reckless."

Momoshiro interfered with curiosity, "This is a punishment? You're lucky to have a nice buchou!"

"Nice? Like hell she is, Momo-chan." Said Tatsue, who continued walking, though she was scratching her head slightly, "But lucky, yeah. I guess."

"Eh?"

"It seems like kendo members love to talk cryptically." Said Kawamura, who recalled something that Atsuyo said (It would be like sand in a desert…).

"Well, here we are." Muttered Tatsue, putting on her cap, and with a little bow "Ja ne, Seigaku… Saku-chan."

She began jog, and she was going, going, gone, it was then that Sakuno realized what punishment Ayashi made Tatsue to do.

"She knew… Tatsue-chan wouldn't like this… and yet." said Sakuno, her twin braids swaying with the wind.

"Nya? Did you say something, Sakuno-chan?" asked Kikumaru.

"Eh? Ano, it's nothing, Kikumaru-senpai. Ano… I'll be going now, senpai-tachi, Ryoma-kun." Bowed Sakuno, then immediately left.

Tatsue hated marathons.

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A/N: Waaahhh… I am so running out of ideas already!!! NOOO!!!!


	5. White Handkerchief

**Disclaimer: I do not PoT nor its characters.. **

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**Chapter 5**

"**White Handkerchief"**

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The sun was already burning hot at the autumn noon and Ryuzaki Sakuno has been practicing her tennis at school. She asked permission from her grandmother to join the boys' practice shift, and was gleefully given by her grandmother. But it was kind of sad that she was practicing alone.

She then remembered how Ryoma looked whenever he plays tennis.

"Ryoma-kun…" she thought loudly.

"What?" Ryoma asked, coming out from nowhere.

"Eh?! Ryo-Ryoma-kun! How long have you been there?!"

"I just passed." He said nonchalantly, giving peace to the stirred heart of the girl, but then he noticed that there was nobody else with her.

"Ano… I just… wanted to practice here. That's all." She looked down at her racket.

Ryoma watched her from the corner of his eye. He sighed.

"Would you want to play with me?" he asked.

"Huh?!" the girl dropped what she was holding, and hit her feet, she bent over and touched the part hit by the racket, "Ow…"

The boy looked away, and continued to say, "Do you want to?"

Sakuno reached for her racket and grasped it tight.

"Yes, Ryoma-kun."

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As expected, Ryoma won, with a game of 6-0. Sakuno almost collapsed, but was able to stand her own for a bit, though she could feel that she was almost dizzy. It was her first time playing with Ryoma, and she didn't know if she was going to take it gladly or not, he didn't use his "twist serve".

"Mada mada dane, Sakuno." He said.

Sakuno felt of how far away Ryoma was from her, may it be in tennis skills, experience… and even how distant he was from her. But she understood, Ryoma… was more interested in tennis than anything else.

"Can you walk?" Ryoma asked, from the other side of the court.

Before Sakuno could speak, she felt her voice fail her and…

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Sakuno felt the stinging rays of the sun as her brown eyes tried to open, she then felt the soft covers elevating her head a bit. She then realized she was in the school clinic. Remembering of their game earlier, she sat right up and called the name of the person she played with.

"Ryoma-kun?" she squeaked.

"Sakuno, you're awake!" exclaimed Sumire, who was inside the clinic, "I heard from Ryoma that you've collapsed."

"Ano, I'm sorry, grandmother…" her eyes dropped to the white tiles of the clinic. She then recalled that she lost against Ryoma.

Momoshiro was also in the clinic, "Thank goodness, what happened to you, Sakuno-chan, collapsing like that?"

"Eh? Well… I…" her voice seemed to fade away.

"We played tennis." Ryoma answered for her.

"WHAT?!" Momoshiro and Kikumaru exclaimed together. Sumire raised a brow, they left the practice… without permission.

"So it's sort of your fault why Sakuno-chan fainted, isn't it?" said Momoshiro, in a tone half-teasing, half-provoking.

"It's not that!" Sakuno defended, clutching the blanket of the bed, "It's just that… I didn't have anyone to practice with... so I asked Ryoma-kun a favor… it's not his fault…"

Ryoma looked at her and thought, "What the heck is she talking about?"

"Is that so?" asked Sumire, though somehow, she believed that Sakuno was covering for Ryoma, then again, Sumire didn't understand why she would, when there was nothing wrong with that.

Unless, Sakuno thought that her senpai-tachi might think bad of Ryoma if they knew that he asked her to play with him, even though he knew she wasn't as good as he was, and she didn't have enough stamina unlike Ryoma who had been undergoing the regular's training under Inui's training menu.

"It was… just a favor." She muttered, "Please continue practicing, don't mind me, grandmother, Ryoma-kun, Momo-chan-senpai, Kikumaru-senpai!"

"Are you sure, Sakuno-chan? Nya?" asked Kikumaru. Sakuno nodded, reassuringly.

Reluctantly, Momoshiro waved at Sakuno, followed by Kikumaru and her grandmother (who hauled the former's ear for leaving the practice). Ryoma on the other hand, stayed.

"Why did you do that?" he asked, in his usual cool voice.

Sakuno looked away, "It's the same anyway, Ryoma-kun."

Ryoma stared at her and thought, "_The same?_"

Sighing, not understanding what Sakuno said, he told her that he would going back to the tennis practice with the regulars. He left the room.

"I'm still… mada mada dane… whatever I do…" with a sad voice, she muttered under her breath.

She didn't understand why, but tears fell from her eyes. She blinked and thought that when she was going to open her eyes again, they would just go away.

But her tears didn't stop, instead, they rolled down her cheeks rapidly, and in less than a minute, Sakuno was already sobbing quietly. She buried her face with her hands, tears still streaming down from her eyes.

Just outside the room, Ryoma stood. He was leaning on the slightly opened door, listening to the girl's muffled sobs. He pulled down his cap.

"Baka."

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It was late afternoon when Sakuno left for Tsuyu Tei Park, and it was strange to see the place rather empty because usually, during Sundays the park was filled with families gathering together and having a good time.

Her feet walked aimlessly around the park, from the usually beautiful fountain that seemed to be broken that time, to the bridge inside the park, and then finally took her into a deserted playground.

Sakuno walked towards the vacant seat of a swing, touching the cold steel, reminding herself of the tennis prince and his usual coolness. She then sat on the swing, moving it a bit with both her feet firm on the ground.

Usually, when she doesn't feel okay, it was up to Tomoka to cheer her up, taking her to their favorite fast food chain. And sometimes, Tatsue would go and buy her ice cream when she feels sad, and would tell her something that would make things a little more positive.

But today was different. She held tight on the steel chains as she recalled their game.

However, in that game, Sakuno realized the great distance between her and Ryoma's abilities, and somehow thought that maybe she really has no reason to tell him how she felt. She wasn't an ounce worthy of telling Ryoma about her feelings…

Sakuno unclenched the chains of the swing and buried her face on her hands, unable to fight back the tears that welled up in her eyes.

She began to sob uncontrollably.

"I'm so stupid… why am I thinking like this?" she thought, wanting to kick her self mentally. She didn't notice a young man walk up to her, taking something from his pocket.

"Here." He said. Sakuno looked up to the unfamiliar person who spoke, leaving her hands open.

He was holding out a white handkerchief, apparently offering it for her to use.

She just looked at it at first, and then was surprised when he held her open right hand, placed the hanky on her hand and closed it, "You can use that."

"But!" she tried to protest, standing up, only to find that the boy had already started walking away.

"I can't bear seeing cute girls like you cry," Sakuno blushed a bit, he then waved his hand (as if saying, "I don't mind"), "You can keep that!"

Sakuno watched as the mysterious boy left, wondering who he was.

And thanked him silently.

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A/N: Hmm... this must be the shortest chapter yet… It's really not good to have an author's block right in the middle of writing a fanfiction


	6. Dull Knives

** Disclaimer: I do not own PoT. Period. :)  
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**Chapter 6**

"**Dull Knives"**

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"BASTARD!!!!"

Seigaku stared, surprised at the sight that had befallen on them. A drunken man, in his fifties, had been kicked out of a small restaurant by a familiar pigtailed girl, who was followed a by a meek girl, who wore an apron over her clothes. It seemed like the apron-wearing girl was trying to keep the pigtailed girl from kicking the heck out of the man.

But failed miserably at it.

"BASTARD! How dare you criticize Tsucchi's cooking and not paying for your meal!" the pigtailed girl shouted, making the Seigaku stop from walking, not wanting to get into trouble of course.

"Tsucchi?" Kikumaru murmured, "Could it be…"

"There's a 67 chance that she would be one of the girls we've met last week." Said Inui, looking over his green notebook.

The girl in apron walked up to the pigtailed girl, "Mai-chan… you don't have to do that, you know…"

"NO! This man… this perverted, debt-loving man… Harassing your costumers like that! UNACCEPTABLE!" she shouted, punching the scared man squarely on the left eye.

"So it is them after all." Said Kawamura.

"Please stop, Mai-chan… he's still a costumer." Said Atsuyo, her hands inside the apron.

Mai looked back to her friend, "Kya, Tsucchi, we still have to take his payment for the meal!"

"He's getting away." Pointed Fuji, who seemed to enjoy whatever was happening at that moment. Tezuka remained silent.

"WHAT?!" Mai whirled back to where she was looking, and found that the man had already started running. She removed her heeled Mary Jane and flung it into the air, sending it like a boomerang. Unfortunately, it didn't hit the man on the head, and instead, just scratched a bit on the lower part of his pelvic bone. The man laughed hysterically afterwards.

Kikumaru looked surprised as he watched Mai walk towards where her shoes landed, Ryoma tugged his cap down. Atsuyo looked a little worried as Mai picked up her shoes and wore it.

"Oi, that's too bad, you didn't hit the guy." Momoshiro said, when Mai returned.

A wicked smile curled on Mai's lips as she took out something from her pocket. Atsuyo gasped.

"She wasn't aiming for the man." Kikumaru said, "You were aiming for the wallet, weren't you, nya?"

The rest of the Seigaku looked surprised, while Mai threw the wallet in the air.

Atsuyo frowned at her friend, "Mai-chan! You d-didn't have to do that!"

"It's OK! We're just going to take his payment for the meal that he bought, nothing more, and nothing less." She handed the wallet to the stuttering girl, and then turned to Seigaku, "We're having a buy one, take one today, would you like to eat?"

"Fsshhhh…" hissed Kaidoh, making Mai back down, shivering.

Atsuyo bowed, "I insist. Please."

Mai looked mildly surprised, but then followed the other girl's actions, "Please."

Momoshiro's stomach grumbled, so did Fuji and Oishi's.

"I guess it wouldn't be bad, right, Tezuka?" said Oishi, glancing at Tezuka, whose face still bore the seriousness that the kendo club's captain didn't like.

"Fine then."

The two girls cheered.

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"Here you go!" said Mai, bringing the last of the food trays to be served for Seigaku, "Please enjoy your meal!"

The food looked delicious, smelled delicious and add the fact that they were hungry, Seigaku had begun to wolf down the food. (Although, it wasn't sure whether Tezuka was kidding or not, but before they ate he said that they shouldn't get careless)

It was until Kawamura noticed something different with the way the food was made.

"I mean, the sides of each _naruto_ (a topping for ramen) they look sort of ragged, don't they?" said Kawamura, looking at the white topping.

Momoshiro then took out a carrot from his plate and asked Mai, "Hey, Sachimi-san, why's this ragged?"

"Huh?" Mai looked back; she was talking to another costumer who was paying for the food at that time.

"Eh… sorry."

It was then that Seigaku had noticed that it was a recurring similarity of the ragged sides of the food that was served. Oishi, though, told them to just eat the food, before they go cold. It was odd though, that even though the food seemed to be rough on the sides, it was really, really good. Ryoma noted mentally of how Atsuyo seemed to stare at them from the counter, and then entered the kitchen when she saw him staring at her.

Mai then went to the table, "Ano, Momoshiro-san…"

"I told you, Momo-chan is OK!"

"Well, okay, whatever… Momo-chan, you called earlier?" she asked, "Anything I can do?"

Momoshiro picked a piece of carrot, "We were wondering why these have rough sides."

The friendly question, though, seemed to be a little offending to Mai, for when she answered, her tone hinted of coldness.

"It's because the knives are dull."

"Dull?" Fuji whispered.

"Yes, dull. So what if the sides are rough-"

The door opened, a young man in his late teens, and probably even going twenty entered the restaurant. He wore a blue turtleneck sweater, black slacks and a black sling bag dangled from his shoulder. He had a messy light brown hair that stuck up on the back.

"Oi, brat, you're scaring the costumers away!" he said, in a rather cocky voice.

Mai looked up and showed displeasure at the man, "Eh? You're here, Higashi-kun?"

Higashi walked to the counter, "Oi, this is my house too, brat. And you're supposed to say, "Welcome", not glower like that. Where's Tsucchi?"

Mai looked back at Seigaku, bowed, and then left to the counter, scowling.

"Oh, Higashi-nii!" exclaimed the girl who had just come out from the kitchen, "You really came!"

"Eh? Why not?" he said, "I'd like to order the usual. Don't worry, I'll pay for that."

"Wow, that's news." Mai stuck out her tongue.

Higashi then sat on the table next to Seigaku, he noticed their uniforms.

"Seigaku? You must be tennis players, then." He said, starting a conversation, "I'm Nozomi Higashi, Tsucchi… I mean, Atsuyo's brother. I used to play tennis too when I was still in Hyoutei."

"Hyoutei?!" Seigaku looked surprised.

"Were you a regular player?" asked Inui, taking a pen.

Mai answered it for Higashi, "He was their captain during his time, unfortunately he got injured and had to stop playing tennis."

"Permanently." Added Higashi, but changed the topic, "How do you find my sister's cooking? Was it weird?"

"O-Onii-chan!" stuttered Atsuyo from the counter. Mai whisked back to Higashi.

Reluctantly, Kawamura started to say all of the things he thought were weird with Atsuyo's cooking, from the way the sides were ragged, how the noodles were cut, how the vegetables were cut.

It was then that they remembered what Mai said.

"_It's because the knives are dull."_

Fuji watched Higashi, looking for reactions, and said, "The knives are dull."

Higashi smirked, "BINGO!"

"Higashi-kun, you…!" Mai was finally ticked off.

Higashi shrugged, "If I am not mistaken, these people hasn't been here before." He coolly leaned on the chair, "That means that they just happened to enter this restaurant, or they were invited to go here."

Fuji watched Higashi like a hawk, there was a reason why he was Hyoutei's former captain. Even Tezuka was eyeing him closely.

"The possibility of such players coming here by coincidence, it would be roughly… twenty percent. The fact that Seigaku is a little close here would be the main reason why. But since there are a lot of fast food chains, burger stations, and not to mention, residential houses nearby, decreases the possibility of an encounter."

Inui noted that Higashi wasn't using data on that, he was merely calculating the possibilities using obvious facts.

"The fact that they came here as a team would mean that it was either they had planned, a coincidence or someone invited them to come here. For that to be planned is stupid, unless they plan to have a sleepover at a member's house, but that too is highly unlikely. A coincidence and having someone invite them to be here are the only choices left."

Kikumaru noticed that Higashi seemed to say those things indifferently, meaning it could be because he was used in that kind of reasoning.

"But the fact that you've invited your kendo club once to eat here increases the chance that you know these people. It doesn't matter if it's in the public sphere, intimate sphere or personal sphere." Said Higashi, leaning forward and resting his chin on his hand, "You knew my sister and this brat from before, am I right?"

"Your point?" asked Inui, in a rather serious tone.

"My sister is aichmophobic." Higashi smiled relieving the tense atmosphere and reverted it back to normal, "That's why there are rough sides. But they taste good, don't they?"

Seigaku nodded. They found it odd though, that he answered them after saying those weird things. Fuji thought that he thought he knew why.

Mai shook her head and went inside the counter, and proceeded to the kitchen. She was then followed by Atsuyo afterwards.

Higashi stretched a bit, "My sister's been cooking since she was seven, and highly skilled at the age of ten. She could even make that stuff; you know, that variety of seemingly hard food to cook, shown on TV. But she couldn't make proper-looking food because she's aichmophobic."

"I see…" mumbled Kawamura.

"Nya, Higashi-san, what's Sachimi-chan doing here?" asked Kikumaru.

"Oh? You mean that brat?"

A plastic plate was sent flying from the kitchen, hitting Higashi at the back.

"OI! Brat! Watch where you're throwing at!" Higashi scratched his head, "Eh, sorry about that. Ayashi's really rubbing off on those kids… where was I? Oh yeah. The brat."

**SWEATDROP.**

"Well, she's been friends with my sister ever since elementary, how they met, I have no idea, and how they got along, I don't know, and I have no intention of knowing."

"This is odd, because from what I've heard earlier," Fuji thought, "He can calculate things even from very small pieces of facts…"

"All I know is that she's been helping my sister ever since elementary, and that's enough for everyone in our home to welcome her in the family." Shrugged Higashi.

Ryoma tugged his cap down; he didn't know what they would benefit from knowing such things.

Momoshiro piped out, "Don't her parents worry about her? I mean, correct me if I am wrong, but she stays here with you during weekdays because of their classes."

"Yeah, she does." Higashi answered, "Her parents know about this, so we don't have to think too much about it. Besides, even if she's a brat, she still helps here. Oh, it's getting late; don't you have to go home?"

Oishi looked at his watched. It really was that late.

"Should we go?" he asked Tezuka, who nodded in response. They gave the payment to Higashi, who stood and walked up to the counter and placed the money in the cash register.

When they were about to leave, Mai's head popped from the kitchen and shouted, "Oi! Wait!"

"Eh?"

They heard muffled voices from behind the counters, and saw Mai dragging the timid Atsuyo, who was holding a small plastic bag.

"C'mon! They might go!" they heard Mai say.

Higashi watched gleefully as the two girls walked up to the tennis players, "Aren't you going to say something?"

"Ano, y-yes…" muttered Atsuyo, then with shaking hands offered the Seigaku regulars with 9 small muffins shaped like a tennis ball, "I know we were asking too much of you last time…"

"And these won't be enough to pay you back for trying to help us." Continued Mai.

And in unison, they bowed, "Please accept these as our personal thanks."

Tezuka gave a whoosh of air, and took a piece. Oishi smiled at the captain and took one. After each regular took one, Atsuyo and Mai beamed when they saw that they really accepted the muffins.

And for the first time, without blushing, Atsuyo smiled and said, "Thank you, Seigaku."

Mai looked at her friend and smiled, "We'll be watching your matches from now on, so don't lose, OK?"

Kikumaru replied, "Of course we won't. We're going to the Nationals and win the championship, right?"

"Yeah." Everyone said.

Fuji handed a racket to Kawamura, "YEAH!!! BUUURNNIIIINGGG!!"

"Eh?!" the two girls sweatdropped.

When they left, Higashi went to his sister and Mai.

"They're going to be Seigaku's best team for years." He said, smiling.

Atsuyo replied, "They will be. Their styles have not been perfected yet, but, I think… they will definitely win the championship."

"You're from Hyoutei, and yet, you're cheering for Seigaku, isn't that fraternizing with the enemy, Higashi-kun?" Mai asked playfully.

"Does it matter? Even my perfectionist little sister says that they will be champion," he glanced at his timid little sister, "There's no reason I can doubt that."

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A/N: WHOA, just, WHOA… I'm in the sixth chapter already! WHOOHOO!!!


	7. A Boy's Spell

** Disclaimer: I do not own PoT.  
**

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**Chapter 7**

"**A Boy's Spell"**

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"Yo."

A pair of cat-like dark blue eyes surprised Sakuno as she was watching the boy's tennis club practicing.

"Ta-Tatsue-chan?!" she exclaimed as the girl walked up to her. Tatsue raised a brow.

"What's with that look? I came here just to see you and you give me that look? I'm hurt." She said jokingly, tears coming from the corners of her eyes.

**SWEATDROP**

"It's not that… I was just surprised that you're here. Haven't you got any practice today?" asked Sakuno, tilting her head a bit.

Tatsue shook her head, "No. We're not having any today, my senpai-tachi are all busy with the upcoming festival, so we freshmen, just had to clean the area to be used for tomorrow's practice."

"I see… but," Sakuno asked again, "why don't you practice on your own?"

Tatsue had put her hands on her hips, "Kya, it's too tiring. Besides, the atmosphere here is a lot enticing for a young girl like me."

Sakuno smiled, there were times that Tatsue had acted so much unlike herself.

All of a sudden, the tennis court screen rammed wildly, taking the two chatting girls by surprise. Kaidoh Kaoru, also called _Mamushi_ (though he doesn't want to be called as such), had just made a tennis ball crush onto the side of the court. Sakuno bowed her head, scared, as Kaidoh glared furiously at the two them; Tatsue however, stared indifferently at him. Her eyes looked more narrowed than usual.

"Oi, Mamushi! Your opponent is me!" Momoshiro shouted as he shot a bullet serve to the distracted rival, who dived to catch the ball, but failing miserably so. Momoshiro gave thumbs up to the two girls.

Tatsue smiled sheepishly at the older boy. Sakuno then noticed a cap-wearing freshman and frown dawned on her face. She still hadn't forgotten what had happened last Sunday.

Tatsue looked at her friend from the corner of her sharp eyes, she knew Sakuno was shy, timid and sometimes clumsy, but she really was kind and caring. That was why Tatsue liked Sakuno so much. That's why she wanted to be Sakuno's friend.

Sakuno reminded Tatsue of her younger sister so much that it hurt a lot to see Sakuno sad, knowing that whatever she say, the pain won't just go away.

Tatsue balled her fists, and then relaxed. She turned brightly at the quiet girl.

"Let's go get ice cream."

"Eh?" Sakuno looked with surprise at her friend, "But I can't go outside yet!"

"It's okay! We're just going out for ice cream!" insisted Tatsue, grabbing Sakuno by the hand, leading her away from the tennis court.

Sakuno's braids bounced softly, letting herself get dragged away from the court. With one last look, she murmured in the air, wishing Ryoma could hear it, "Goodbye, Ryoma-kun…"

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"Hey, did I just see that girl, Kitami-chan, again today?" Kikumaru pointed at the two girls, who were leaving the tennis court.

"Yeah." Oishi answered, "Seems like she's visiting a lot."

Ryoma tipped his cap down, "Che. Annoying."

"Annoying? I don't think so." Said Momoshiro, "She's a sarcastic and funny girl," he then remembered her casual sarcasm that really should be lessened a lot, "Then again… yeah, she can be really annoying."

Kaidoh let out an annoyed hiss, and said, "She _is_ annoying."

"Oh, you spoke, Mamushi?" exclaimed Momoshiro, "I thought you could only hiss!"

Kaidoh threw sharp looks at his opponent, but then just brushed past the teasing teammate.

"Hey, is Kaidoh alright?" asked Kawamura, "I can't believe it, he just passed by Momo."

"Maybe he's sick."

Inui fixed his glasses, "No. But he seems to be distracted today. That's something worth noting."

Fuji's face lit up a devious smile, "By a girl, perhaps?"

"Nya? No way!" Kikumaru protested, almost teasingly, "There's no way that Kaidoh would be like that, much more because of a girl!"

Oishi scolded Kikumaru from behind, "Eiji!"

"Nya!" Kikumaru waved his hand at his friend, "I was just joking!"

Tezuka remained silent, though in his mind. It wouldn't be a surprise if Kaidoh was distracted; it was surprising enough that two totally different schools, with different interests, had suddenly made a connection, and supposed to work together without prior warning whatsoever. Not to mention that none of the activities would be beneficial for the team, he wondered what Ryuzaki-sensei was thinking when she agreed.

Fuji gave a sigh and thought out loud, loud enough to be heard by Seigaku regulars, "This will be a very interesting month."

His sharp blue eyes had revealed themselves as he opened his usual closed lids.

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It was late afternoon, and fortunately, Sakuno and Tatsue didn't have to leave the school premises; an ice cream retail truck had just stopped before Seishun, thus the guard had let Sakuno and Tatsue buy ice cream, and didn't have to sneak out. They went to the rooftop of the school to avoid the crowd, and for Tatsue to talk to Sakuno without anyone bothering them.

Sakuno licked her strawberry ice cream, looking serene, in deep thought. Her thoughts drifted from what had happened last Sunday, she had performed shamefully during her set with Ryoma. And then, she blushed a bit when she remembered the boy who lent her his handkerchief.

"Oi, Saku-chan, your ice cream." Tatsue pointed at the dripping treat.

"Kya! No!" Sakuno exclaimed and licked the dripping melted sweet, "Oh… no, my ice cream."

Tatsue chided at Sakuno, "Yare, yare, Saku-chan. You should finish that soon or you'll get all sticky!"

"Ehehehe… sorry." Sakuno gave a weak smile.

It wouldn't take a genius to know that Sakuno wasn't feeling alright.

"Saku-chan, is there something you would like to tell me?" Said Tatsue, finishing her treat. The cool autumn breeze made her short pigtailed hair sway a bit, and then licked her finger, Sakuno's hair was disheveled a bit, eyes never leaving her friend's face.

Sakuno averted her gaze from Tatsue's face and looked up at the almost orange sky.

"I… " Sakuno whispered, "I wanted to become like Ryoma-kun who is so great in tennis."

Tatsue remained silent, listening only to her cheerless friend.

"He was my inspiration, the source of my strength in tennis; I really look up to Ryoma-kun. I wanted to be like him. But…" Sakuno lowered the ice cream cone, "Now… I… I just want to be myself."

"Kya?" Tatsue had a look of utter confusion on her face. _What the heck is she saying?!_

Sakuno finished her ice cream.

"These past months," Sakuno continued talking, and huddled on the floor, "All I did was talk about Ryoma-kun, his greatness in tennis, and how I would like to be like him… but then, after playing against him, I realized…" a single tear had threatened to fall from her eyes, but was quickly wiped off by Sakuno herself, "How different we are from each other."

Tatsue continued to listen to her friend's voice.

"Tatsue-chan?" Sakuno fiddled with her fingers.

"What is it, Saku-chan?"

"I'm giving up on Ryoma-kun."

Tatsue was fazed with Sakuno's resolve, "W-What?!"

Sakuno stood up, "Yes, Tatsue-chan. I… I'm giving up on Ryoma-kun."

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"Ja ne, Tomo-chan!" Sakuno waved at her friend.

Tatsue lifted her right hand, "Ja, Osakada-chan!"

Tomoka waved back at the two, though still surprised of Tatsue's rather friendly attitude that day, "Ja ne, Sakuno-chan! Kitami-chan!"

"Oi!" a certain prickly haired regular waved at the two freshmen, "Sakuno-chan! Kitami-chan!"

"Momo-chan-senpai." Sakuno bowed, while Tatsue just planted her hands into the pockets of her jacket and responded with a "Yo."

"Do you have any plans tonight?" he asked.

"Not exactly." Answered Sakuno, "How about you, Tatsue-chan?"

Tatsue shrugged, "Me? Not really, but I have to go home early or I'm not going to finish all my notes. Well then," she took out her right hand from her pocket and waved a little, "Ja ne, Saku-chan, Momo-chan."

She was about to pass by Kaidoh, and waved at him. Kaidoh pretended he didn't see her and continued on walking past her, Tatsue shrugged and continued walking.

"She's really not scared with Kaidoh, isn't she?" commented Fuji, who just spoke without any precautions, causing both Momoshiro and Sakuno to jump.

Sakuno smiled softly, "Yes."

"That's a first for the girls, then." Inui fixed his glasses.

Ryoma appeared, "Che. She's still annoying."

"Oi, O-chibi, don't say that, Kitami-chan is Sakuno-chan's friend!" Kikumaru exclaimed, pointing at the twin braided girl.

"Ryoma-kun…" Sakuno whirled around to face Ryoma, her expression was a first, "Please don't say things like that about Tatsue-chan!"

Then she ran away.

"Echizen, you definitely screwed this up." Momoshiro shook his head.

"Che." He said, throwing his bag to his shoulder, then began to walk towards his house's direction.

"Oi, you're not going to come and play with me?" Momoshiro called out to the prince.

Ryoma waved his hand, signifying that he'll be going alone.

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Sakuno walked aimlessly once more. It was too early for her to go home, but it was too late to go back to Seishun Gakuen. She wandered around, thinking of what she had proclaimed to her friend earlier.

_Sakuno stood up, "Yes, Tatsue-chan. I… I'm giving up on Ryoma-kun."_

Sakuno sighed in defeat, wondering whether she had made the right decision or not. Giving up would be one thing, it was good that she didn't say that she will be over Ryoma. She walked to the park once more, wondering if she'd be able to return the handkerchief that the mystery boy had let her borrow.

Her feet seemed to know where she wanted to go, and for less than five minutes, she found herself in the empty playground where she saw the mysterious boy.

Sakuno walked up to the empty swing and sat. Smiling to herself, she took out the white handkerchief, which she washed, and pressed.

"Oi!" Sakuno looked up to see the source of the unfamiliar voice.

It was the mystery boy from before!

Sakuno could see him clearly now, since the last time she stared at him, her vision was rather blurry. He started to approach Sakuno.

He wore an unbuttoned blue coat, with a white undershirt and black necktie, and a pair of black school pants. He sported a messy mop of black hair, which had streaks of color brown.

"Ano…" Sakuno stood up.

The boy smiled as he walked nearer, "Are you feeling much better now?"

"Y-yes." Stuttered Sakuno.

It was odd, because, she suddenly felt that her cheeks were burning, making her face look a little bit redder than usual. Before she had her match with Ryoma, Ryoma was the only person she had felt something like what she was feeling at that particular moment.

The boy smiled naively, "Well, that's good. I have no reason to stay here then."

"W-what?!" her voice seemed to protest against the boy's statement, "I mean… your handkerchief…"

"Eh?" The boy looked at her, questioningly, "Oh, yeah, I remember that."

"H-here!" she held the neatly folded hankie to the boy, who smiled unbelievingly.

Sakuno blush was even more evident when the boy's face leaned towards hers. She had never been this close to any boy. Not even Echizen Ryoma.

"Didn't I tell you?" he brushed past her face, and whispered into her ears, "You can keep it?"

"_I can't bear seeing cute girls like you cry," Sakuno blushed a bit, he then waved his hand (as if saying, "I don't mind"), "You can keep that!"_

The mysterious boy held her hand and closed it for her, the white handkerchief still inside it. Sakuno blushed a deeper shade of red when the boy stepped back a single pace, making her see him directly, face to face. He held out his hand on an eyelevel.

Sakuno squinted her eyes shut.

The expression on Sakuno's face was a dead giveaway, so the boy, who had planned to caress her cheek, only ruffled her brown hair.

"Eh?" Sakuno opened her eyes, and found the boy's face just centimeters away from her face.

"You look cute when you blush. But I would prefer it if you'd smile." The blush that almost left her had once again showed up.

The boy leaned back, smiling at the blushing girl.

"Minami Kenichi." He held out a hand, as if asking to have a handshake.

Sakuno held her hand against her bosom, and even though she was hesitating a bit because of the awkwardness of the situation, she held out her hand too.

"Ryuzaki… Ryuzaki Sakuno."

In almost an instant that he held her hand, she felt like she was pushed by some kind of unseen person (though it might just be because of her usual clumsiness), stumbled and fell into his arms. His emerald eyes had captured her chocolate ones.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Sakuno blushed ever so brightly, "Ano… y-yes. It's… it's nice to m-meet you Minami-kun."

"Eh? Minami-kun?" the boy comically stared at her.

"Huh?" she looked at him innocently.

The boy leaned closer to her, "Would it be too much if you call me Kenichi-kun… Sakuno-chan?"

In that moment, as she was captivated by his eyes, she muttered a small "no", gaining another smile from the boy. She suddenly realized what she had said and tried to tell him that her answer was just an accident.

"Sakuno-chan." The way he said her name made Sakuno stop, "What school do you attend, anyway?"

"Se-Seishun Gakuen."

He quirked up his brow, "Seigaku?"

Sakuno nodded, and then asked, "Why?"

"I'll be visiting you sometime, so watch out for me, okay?"

The world seemed to stop as the boy's lips brushed on her flaming cheeks. Leaning back, he smiled at her.

"Smile, Sakuno-chan." He waved at her as he left the blushing girl.

Sakuno held the handkerchief on one hand, and touched her burning cheeks by the other.

It seemed like… she had fallen into Kenichi's spell!

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From behind a tree near the playground, a hidden (and frowning, though this he doesn't notice, being the Prince of Denseness that he is) prince preferred to stay out of sight that time.

He had seen everything.

"Che." Ryoma scowled, unknowingly glaring at the leaving boy, "What do I care?"

Well, apparently he does. (Or he wouldn't have followed her all the way to the park!)

He's just too immersed in tennis, too young, and too dense to notice.

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A/N: Whoa, whoa, whoa! I can't believe I'm really pushing my luck in PoT! Ack, I know a lot of people will hate this chapter! ACK! I must hide from the mob! WAAAHHHH!!!

I am actually rethinking this chapter. I DO NOT WANT TO PULL OFF AN **HBP!H/G** IN MY VERY FIRST PoT FANFICTION!!! NOOOO!! (but apparently, that would be the only option I have right now… I wonder whether this crisis was what **JKR** had in her mind… waaahhh…)


	8. Of Pictures and Films

** Disclaimer: I do not own PoT.  
**

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**Chapter 8**

"**Of Pictures and Films"**

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_-- FRIDAY THAT WEEK --_

_Whoosh._

An expensive black Jaguar stopped in front of Seigaku's gate; students and passers-by crowded the car as the passenger seat's door has been opened, wondering of who was the owner of such luxurious car.

A young girl from Daigaku had just arrived on Seigaku's school grounds, she called, "Fuji-san!"

Everyone turned their heads to the happy-go-lucky-looking tennis regular who had just arrived at school.

His perpetually closed eyes smiling as he greeted the new-comer.

"Oh, good morning, Sanyu-san."

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Sumire looked cynically at the young blonde, who came with such posh materials, "You still shouldn't have let them drive something like _that_ just to bring you here, Sanyu."

"Ano, Ryuzaki-gimi, I'm really sorry!" the girl apologized once more, "My parents insisted that I shouldn't walk from our school."

"Fine then." Sumire sighed helplessly, then asked Fuji to accompany the girl as she would take shots of the Seigaku grounds and the tennis club as part of her part in the presentation.

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"Wow!" exclaimed Jun as she had kept the film rolling, "So that's the Twist serve! And that's the Dunk Smash! This is really great!"

Fuji could see from her face that she was enjoying every single bit of her work, the childish smile never left her bright appearance.

"Oi, Fuji-san!" she looked back at the other half of their pair, "You're not taking pictures!"

"Sorry, sorry, Sanyu-san." Fuji held his hands before him. Taking the opportunity, he asked her, "You do enjoy this, don't you, Sanyu-san?"

She gave him a confused look, "Huh?"

"I mean, taking pictures and filming."

"Oh, yes. They've always been my hobbies," she said, with an odd glint of sadness that Fuji seemed to see but disappeared after a second, "I want to keep the beauty of everything…"

"Sanyu-san…" Fuji sensed once more that the girl wasn't what he expected her to be.

During their preparation last Saturday, she was laughing and smiling as if there wasn't anything wrong, as if the world was all about the happiness and joys. He watched her carefully as she would tap her pen, thinking of a way to get film and shooting equipments. He found it funny when she used her "feminine-ness" to borrow a camcorder from the staff.

It was then that Fuji discovered that the girls weren't exactly as innocent and strict as they seemed to be, hence the odd behaviors of the kendo club's captain.

During the afternoon shift, when they were bored that they had finished so early, Jun had told him of something they did when they were second years, and how they slipped past through the guards using their "ultra-feminine-pleading-technique", as demonstrated earlier that day.

Fuji was snapped back to reality when Jun let out a cheer for his fellow teammate and friend, Kikumaru Eiji, who had done another acrobatic play against Momoshiro.

"WHOA! SO COOL!" she let out fits of giggles, making Fuji smile.

He'll know what her secret was sooner or later.

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Using a television from Seigaku's tennis coach's office, the Seigaku regulars had been able to watch the shots made by Jun during their practice. They (except most probably Tezuka) were almost glued to the screen, wanting to see the product of today's practice.

"I haven't edited it yet, so it might look a bit, well, off." Jun stuck her tongue out.

Sumire watched the girl, who was sitting from across her desk. She didn't seem to notice Fuji, who was just within earshot, unlike those who were watching the "mini-movie" waiting for their faces to be seen on the monitor.

The coach's expression became serious, "How are you feeling, Sanyu?"

"Huh?" the girl gave the coach a rather fake look of innocence, but smiled weakly, "I'm fine, Ryuzaki-gimi. Emiko-chan… is doing her best."

Fuji's usual closed eyes opened, revealing two sharp blue orbs. Their coach seemed to talk in an unusually low voice, as if not wanting anyone else to hear.

"You really should go and have a check up every now and then."

The girl replied with a smile, and repeated her last answer.

"Emiko-chan is doing her best…"

All of a sudden, Kikumaru appeared in front of Jun, making the serene-looking girl to jump a bit.

"You're really good in this, Sanyu-san! You caught my shot perfectly! NYA, NYA HOI!"

"Really?" the girl asked, excitedly.

"Really!"

And they continued to talk about the film, and how she was supposed to edit it.

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The day was about to end while indigo and orange colored clouds had already smeared the almost non-existent blue color in the sky. Jun happily hummed _It's Gonna Rain_ as she walked with the Seigaku regulars, they seemed to be very satisfied with her work.

"Sanyu-san," called Fuji. Jun spun around to face them, Fuji continued, "Are you planning to be a film director or something?"

She gave him a small smile, "No. I actually want to be a painter, but…"

"But?" asked Kikumaru. For a moment, Fuji thought she frowned, and wanted to say something, but held back.

"It's. A. Secret." She winked at them, before happily skipping towards the school gates.

Fuji was becoming more worried by his partner's actions. He knew he had no business with her personal life, but… the look on her face when he talked to her earlier. What their coach told her while inside the office. And her answer to his question…

What kind of secret was she hiding?

When they reached the gates, a white car sped past them. They thought that it had nothing to do with them, but a black-haired, glasses-wearing girl popped out of the car.

"Oi, Jun-kun! Why didn't you tell us that you'll be going here!" frowned Emiko, looking a little worried. She then took notice of the Seigaku players, "Oh, hi there, nice to see you again!"

Fuji watched Jun's reaction when Emiko exited the car.

It was part happy, a little sad, more of… regret?

"Sorry, Emi-chan. I got a little… carried away." Jun's face suddenly lit up, "Oh! That must mean you brought it!"

Emiko rubbed her temples, "Like I have any choice." She turned to the driver, "Nee-san, please wait here, okay?"

The female voice from inside the car said, "Sure."

Emiko opened the trunk of the car, bringing out a small sealed cup, "It's a new kind, so I'm not exactly sure how it tastes."

Jun smiled innocently, "I'm sure it would taste great, Emi-chan!"

Seigaku watched Jun as she skipped bunny hops to Emiko who had unsealed the cup and handed it to Jun. The visitor smelled the cup and smiled; she pressed the cup's opening with her lips and tilted the cup, letting the unknown liquid gush inside her mouth. It was already half-empty when Jun parted her lips from the cup.

Emiko eyed her friend, "How's the tea?"

Jun licked her lips, as if thinking of what she was going to answer.

"It's superb, Emi-chan! As expected of my personal doctor!" Jun hugged her friend, almost making them stumble.

"Glad you liked it." A faint smile crept into Emiko's ostensibly worried expression.

A sound of pen scratching on paper could be clearly heard as Inui magically appeared behind the two girls. He observed the contents that were still inside the cup.

"You want some?" Jun offered the drink to Inui. Fuji couldn't help but frown.

Kikumaru then leaped towards the three, taking the offered cup, "I want a sip, Sanyu-san!"

Emiko lifted a brow and muttered, "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

But it was too late. Kikumaru had already taken a mouthful of the drink.

His fingers twitched as he tried to pull his hands to his neck, as if choking. Then he fainted.

**SWEATDROP**

"Uhm… oops?" muttered Jun, poking the fainted boy's supple face with a stick.

Emiko shook her head, and sighed, "I knew it."

Inui and Fuji seemed to be interested in the drink, and the rest of Seigaku blanched.

There seriously can't be anyone else (aside from Inui) who could whip up something so horrible to drink, right?

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Kikumaru had his eyes squinted as he drank tap water given by Oishi, Jun then walked over to them.

"Ano, Kikumaru-kun," she said, her brows furrowed, "I'm sorry, I didn't know you don't like those stuff."

Kikumaru held his hand before him, "It's OK. I was just… surprised by the taste." He blinked strangely at Jun, "How are you able to drink _that_?"

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!" exclaimed Emiko who was waiting for Jun.

"I mean, it really tasted… horrible. Very much like Inui's _Penal Tea_." Kikumaru stuck his tongue out, as if barfing.

"Penal… tea?" muttered Jun, "Penalty?"

"It's a kind of health drink that Inui makes for us for training purposes." Said Fuji smiling, "Though, I think, it is more for black mail than training."

"And it really tastes horrible." Kikumaru paled.

"I see… well, we have to go now." She said, smiling. "Thank you for today!"

Jun then ran to the glassed girl, who was lingering patiently for her. Fuji watched them as they rode the waiting car and left.

He wondered whether she was talking about them as a team, or was she just talking to him, since she was looking at his direction. And if his eyesight wasn't wrong, she was looking directly into his sapphire eyes.

"What an amusing girl." Commented Fuji, making his teammates look at him.

"You were saying something, Fuji?" asked Oishi.

Fuji just smiled and said, "No. It's nothing."

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A/N: WHOA. At last, another OC on the spotlight! Hhmmm… Have you counted the Mary Sues? 

(disclaimer: It's Gonna Rain is definitely not mine!)


	9. Mirrors

** Disclaimer: Me do not own PoT.  
**

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**Chapter 9**

"**Mirrors"**

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Riiiiiiinnnngggggggg…

...

Riiiiiiinnnngggggggg…

"Ah… shut up…"

Riiiiiiinnnngggggggg…

Riiiiiiinnnngggggggg…

"-shi…"

'_Eh?_'

"-yashi…"

'_I'm trying to sleep…_"

Something really hard had hit Natsume Ayashi's sleeping head.

"GET UP, AYASHI!" Mariko swung her bokuto, hitting their kendo captain many times, "GET UP!!!"

A very fuming Ayashi held her balled fist, eyes lit with fire, "What was that for?!"

Mariko coughed. Ayashi then realized that it wasn't the best way of being seen by Seigaku (with Sakuno and Sumire) in the middle of the day. She smiled guiltily.

"You still haven't changed a bit, have you?" Sumire rubbed her temples, "You're not even wearing proper uniform."

Mariko nodded, "True, true."

"Like you're the one to talk, _fukubuchou-san_." Ayashi had a mysterious glint from the corner of her eyes.

It was Mariko's turn to have eyes lit in dangerously wild fire.

"Shut up!"

SEIGAKU: **SWEATDROP**

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On their way to the kendo club office, the two girls were greeted by almost every student who would pass their way. With this, Ayashi had to put up her "captain's sphere", as Mariko put it.

In direct contrast with her earlier reaction, when she was acting a little too childish and very… un-captain-like, when she wore her uniform properly, and she was in the presence of fellow students who seemed to look up to her, she was this respectful, model-like student. Not to mention, she wore glasses.

"Good afternoon, Natsume-senpai!" a group of chatting girls in the corridor bowed at the passing group.

Natsume muttered a small good afternoon.

"Kya! Natsume-senpai greeted us back!" they swooned.

**SWEATDROP**

It was something like "wash, rinse and repeat" until they entered an office.

"_NATSUME-NAKATSUKASA_"

"Naka…tsukasa?" Seigaku read.

"You're a liaisons officer?" a surprised Kikumaru asked, "I thought you were a girls' kendo buchou?"

It was Mariko who replied, "Uh, could we talk about it inside?"

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"WHOA! I didn't know your office is this big, Natsume-senpai!" Momoshiro exclaimed.

Ayashi scratched her face a bit, "Ehehehe, compensation for my works, I guess."

Inside the room were familiar faces belonging to the girls who they've met a week ago. Emiko (still glassed and scribbling things on her notebook) and Jun (who was showing her a sketch book) were talking to each other, while Atsuyo and Mai were coming out of a room inside the office, with a teapot and some little cups for tea. Tatsue on the other hand, seemed to be sleeping, was sitting on the couch, with headphones blocking anything she would hear.

Ayashi took off her glasses, "Oi, oi! You're turning my office into a lounge!"

"Oh? As far as I remembered this is the kendo club's main office as well!" Emiko looked at the fellow third year, the tip of her tongue peeking from behind her lips.

A book hit her face again, "Shut up! Seriously… Ah, eh, sorry, Ryuzaki-gimi, Seigaku tennis players for that, please have a seat." She showed two comfortable looking couches, though one of them was a bit wrinkled due to the girls dragging off the sleeping Tatsue.

When the visitors from Seigaku had taken their place, they began to talk about the next level of preparations. The girls (sans Natsume and Mariko, since they were the ones who were talking) shied away from the meeting, with Emiko saying that they'll just be there inside the other room.

It was odd to hear the captain say funny things while in the meeting, like they should think of the weather forecast and all.

Right in the middle of their congregation, the door slammed open. An angry looking third year with black hair, entered with his veined hands holding a letter.

He growled, "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!"

Ayashi had already put on her glasses, "Meaning of what, Chokichi-san?"

The older-looking man went straight to her table, pounding her table with his fists then slammed the letter in his hand.

"WHAT KIND OF BULLSHIT IS THIS?!"

Mariko snarled, "Watch your mouth, Chokichi! Can't you see that we have visitors?"

"Shut up, Hanami!" he turned angrily to the sitting girl across the table, "Why are you letting those kids have a first year in their team?! Is the standard of this school going to the dogs?!"

"Excuse us, Ryuzaki-gimi, Seigaku." Ayashi stood from her chair with an air of utter annoyance, she directed the fuming boy to her left, "Chokichi-san, this way please."

The man had already left the front of the table, and went to the next one, albeit it was a little farther away, as if meant to be that the other table could not hear the conversation, Seigaku and Sumire looking surprised by such actions.

Momoshiro pointed at the other table's commotion, "Will they be fine?"

"Saa… who knows?" out of nowhere, Tatsue appeared beside Sakuno, causing most of the Seigaku regulars to jump.

"W-what the heck!" Momoshiro exclaimed, "Tell us when you're there!"

"Err… oops?" Tatsue stuck her tongue out. There was look of triumph on Kaidoh's face when Momoshiro looked like he had seen a ghost.

"Cut the act, Natsume! Stop screwing around!" Chokichi shouted loudly, more than enough for the visitors to hear.

Mai then plopped on the comfy armchair beside Tatsue, "Ah, Chokichi-senpai sure seems to be really frustrated about it, ne, Tsucchi?"

Atsuyo then appeared behind the chair, standing, holding a teacup, "Uh-huh."

Kawamura pointed at the two girls, "S-since when have you been there?"

Emiko appeared behind the two girls and embraced them with her arms, and behind her wide rimmed glasses, winked playfully at the boys, "Since Chokichi entered the room, can't help but peek!"

"Though of course, we can't help but feel a little… curious." Jun peeked from behind the chair and waved at Fuji. Fuji smiled back

Suddenly, the boy called Chokichi threw his chair, missing Tezuka by inches. Seigaku and the remaining of the kendo girls drew nearer the tumult. Ayashi had kept her cool with Mariko standing behind her, the other man, however was at the verge of rage.

"What do you have against Fuyuko Chika?" the rosy lips of the boyish fukubuchou moved, "Ayashi had already explained to you that the boy clearly can help with the team, that's why she approved his stay."

"Don't give me this bullshit, Hanami!" Ayashi only stared indifferently at the up roaring man. She sighed.

"Jealousy denotes anger. Anger dulls the blade." She cryptically answered the boy. Mariko raised a brow.

"What the?"

Lazily, Ayashi rested her chin on her right hand, "Whatever I say, as long as you're determined to be deaf with any explanation, it's useless. Fuyuko Chika stays at the team, as long as he wants to, and only through _proper_ and _legal_ ways can he be dismissed from the martial arts club. And you're not even the Martial Arts captain. You can talk to your captain about it. You may go."

"STOP FUCKING AROUND, BITCH!" he roared. Seigaku was about to go to the scene, when they were surprised by the sudden sight.

The seven girls, their bokuto withdrawn and were dangerously entrapping the standing man between the wooden swords.

Mariko stood before the man, Emiko and Jun were standing behind him, Atsuyo and Mai (kneeling) were at the sides and Tatsue at the middle of the two second years, standing. Mariko was holding her bokuto on the hilt, her weapon at eyelevel, the blunt tip reached until between Chokichi's eyes; Emiko had aimed on his throat while Jun seemed to have intended to cut his torso diagonally. The tips of Mai and Atsuyo's bokuto meant to sever his lower right and lower left abdomen, while the small Tatsue had aimed directly on his gut.

The boy between the wooden blades perspired like there was no tomorrow, and for him, it was like the bokuto were real, steel blades ready to slash him into pieces if he moves an inch. The expression on his face was pure horror.

The terrible tension created by such seriousness sent Seigaku gulping seriously, Sakuno cradled her hand with the other on her front.

"Tatsue-chan…" Sakuno whispered in the air.

Mariko shouted in a manner that was rather scary, "How dare you! Just because you weren't granted with your wish, you talk like that to our buchou!"

"Unacceptable." Jun's eyes turned sharp.

Emiko who was usually the most cheerful one of the four third years looked like she was going to murder someone, "You dare…"

Mai and Atsuyo said nothing but their expression was same with their senpai. Tatsue, on the other hand, seemed to not care about the situation.

"OI! OI! OI!" Ayashi held her hands before her, relieving the tension that her club mates did, "Stop that!"

"But Aya-" Mariko tried to protest.

"Mariko, Jun, Emiko," a tone of seriousness escaped Ayashi's lips, "Sachimi, Nozomi, Kitami. Let him go."

With a whoosh of air escaping her lips, Mariko had put down her weapon, and was followed by her fellow kendo members.

The once scared boy had now broken into hysterical laughs as he exited the room, Ayashi only shook her head, though Seigaku wasn't sure if it was because of the boy.

Chokichi pointed at Ayashi, "You! Remember this! You will-"

**SLAM**

"Buchou, were you bothered by this boy?" a large-looking, fat orange haired appeared from outside the door, knocking Chokichi out.

"Just take him to the infirmary," she turned to her clubmates, "What were you thinking?!"

"But Ayashi!" Jun protested, "He insulted you!"

"Even in front of visitors!" Emiko added, pointing at the gaping Seigaku (sans Tezuka). Sumire just sat on her chair, though there were beads of sweat on the back of her neck.

"This is too much, didn't you hear what I said? _Anger dulls the blade._" Ayashi frowned, "All of you! 100 laps around the court! NOW!"

Tatsue's eyes popped out, her mouth hanging, "No way…"

"Are you waiting for me to make it 200?" a dangerous glint in her eyes showed that she wasn't kidding.

"No buchou! Right away, buchou!" they all saluted, even the fukubuchou, and in a flash, they ran out of the room.

Ayashi started to rub her temples; they heard her say, "Honestly…"

Sumire gave a hearty laugh, taking the girl's attention.

"R-Ryuzaki-gimi?" she stuttered, not knowing what was wrong, she then looked at the Seigaku regulars. They paled.

"Oi, are you OK?"

Whenever Ayashi took one step closer to them, Seigaku would take a step backwards.

Kikumaru spoke, "Natsume-san! You're scarier than Tezuka-buchou!"

**VEIN POPPED**

"No, I'm not!" Ayashi crossed her arms and turned her face to the left with an air of haughtiness, "He's a serious-looking, glassed monster of complete and utter seriousness from hell!"

Sumire asked, "Then what are you?"

Ayashi grinned mischievously, "I'm an angel… from the darkest pits of hell."

**SWEATDROP**

"Aren't those quite the same?" Sakuno asked innocently.

Ayashi burst out childish (and chibi) tears out of the corners of her blue eyes, "Kya! Ryuzaki-chan! I thought you were nice!"

"Eh?! Na-Natsume-senpai!" Sakuno stuttered. Ayashi peeked out one of her sapphire orbs.

"Just kidding."

"You're mean, Natsume-senpai." Sakuno frowned.

Ayashi shrugged, "If I won't be mean, those kids won't follow what I say." She turned to Sumire, "Ryuzaki-gimi, are we going to continue from where we stopped?"

The tennis coach shook her head, "Actually, we'd be stopping there. Don't you have classes?"

Ayashi smiled weakly, "Ahehehe, actually, my classes are all morning classes. The only reason I stay here is because of being in the… er… never mind that. I'll lead you out of the school."

"Oh, I haven't seen where you practice your club. I haven't noticed any kendo dojo on our way here." Sumire asked.

Ayashi gave another mysterious smile, "It's because we don't have one."

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A/N: So what do you guys think? 

"Anger dulls the blade"-- From Bleach, said by Grand Fisher, around chapter 24-25


	10. Punch and Slap

**Disclaimer: I do not own PoT. **

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**Chapter 10**

**"Punch and Slap"**

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The six girls huffed and puffed, as liters (figuratively speaking, then again, they did run 100 laps…) of sweat escaped through the pores of their seemingly thin bodies.

"Oi! You finished?" a teasing voice called out. Mariko gave the source of the voice a deathly glare. Along with Ayashi were Seigaku and Sakuno, since Sumire had told them that she will be doing something at Seishun Gakuen.

"BITCH!" shouted Mariko, giving her the finger.

Ayashi jokingly shouted back, giving her a peace sign, "SAME TO YOU!"

Mariko laughed, shaking her head.

It was surprising though, because from the last time they heard someone called Ayashi a "bitch", that person was "attacked" by kendo members. But maybe there were exceptions.

When Seigaku drew nearer to the girls, they saw that they were clad with loose white shirts and identical black jogging pants. Their shirts were already sticking and their hair was ruffled, some of the strands were sticking to their faces.

"Oi, you're looking worse for the wear, have you done something more than running?" Kikumaru joked.

"E-Eiji, stop that!" scolded Oishi.

"Ehehehe, sorry, Oishi!"

Mariko lifted her hand, "Kikumaru-san is right, we are looking really worn out."

"100 laps is too much, Aya-chan! You're mean!" pouted Emiko, and as if remembered something, she worriedly turned to the young blonde with them, "Oi, Jun-kun, are you feeling OK?"

Jun was breathing heavily, but was able to give a faint smile, "Don't worry. I'm fine."

Emiko frowned at Ayashi, "You should've given consideration about that."

"Eh, all of you attacked an unarmed person, even Jun-kun. I see no reason why I shouldn't punish her too." Ayashi stuck her tongue out, "Well, you really should go and change clothes. I don't want any of you catching pneumonia because of me. You go back here, ok?"

The girls saluted and left for the changing rooms. Mariko and Emiko sort of helped Jun walk, while Atsuyo, Mai and Tatsue walked behind them.

"Natsume-san," Fuji asked, "is Sanyu-san alright?"

Ayashi twisted her head, looking at Fuji's direction, and then returned to where she was staring earlier, "Saa, who knows?"

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After ten minutes…

Ayashi and the students from Seigaku sat on a very long bench along the grassed area of the school. The female kendo captain looked at her wristwatch.

"What the heck?" Ayashi threw her head back, "What's taking them so long?"

A bag was shoved heavily on Ayashi's stomach; she immediately clutched the area hit.

"Bitch, you almost killed us with those laps!" Mariko's eyes were lit with blazing fire. The girls had finally arrived from the changing room, each of them in their school uniform.

Ayashi looked up at the fuming girl, pain still evident from her face, "Ehehehe, serves you well." Then she ran from the other girl's reach, so naturally Mariko tried to catch her.

"This is so shameful." Muttered Tatsue, headphones still connected to her ears. She waved at Sakuno.

"Totally." Her senpai, Mai shook her head, her hands on her small hips.

The timid Atsuyo suddenly said, "Our buchou and fukubuchou are so screwing this up."

The three girls shook their heads in unison.

Kikumaru called the girls to come closer to them.

"What is it, Kikumaru-senpai?" asked Mai.

"Are they always like this?" asked Inui, his glasses flashed in the light.

'Ack, just like Hide-senpai!' Mai and Atsuyo thought.

Mai looked at Atsuyo, who nodded, "Well, yeah. Sort of."

Seigaku watched as the two leaders fight comically, with Emiko and Jun trying to keep them from "fighting".

Oishi pointed at them, "Are you really sure?"

The three girls nodded.

"So it's sort of like this," Tatsue said, becoming more talkative to them, "Even though our two senpai look like they're trying to keep them from fighting, actually…"

"They're adding salt to injury." Said Atsuyo.

Mai nodded.

"What?"

"So, who do you think will win?" asked Mai, a smile curling on her lips.

Atsuyo said, "Well, I dunno about that."

"One hundred yen for buchou," Tatsue took out a bill from her pocket, "because she has beautiful hair."

Atsuyo took out another, "Two hundred for fukubuchou cause she wore pants during her first year here."

Sakuno piped, "So that's really true?"

"Yeah!" exclaimed Mai, "It's really true, they even have a picture of it! We didn't believe at first, but when we saw the pictures…"

"Told ya." Tatsue nodded at Sakuno.

"Oh…"

"Five hundred for buchou cause she dated Atobe Keigo when she was second year!" Mai took out a bill.

"SHE WHAT?!" Seigaku shouted in unison. Tezuka raised a brow.

"Hey! Don't shout!" Mai pouted, "I'm not deaf!"

"Is it really true? Your captain actually dated Atobe-san?" asked Oishi.

Atsuyo nodded, "She really did. He asked her to be his girlfriend."

"But she dumped him." Added Mai.

Tatsue added, "Right after he asked. She didn't even think about it."

"Really? Wow… and Atobe-senpai was really handsome too…" Sakuno suddenly blurt out. Tatsue looked at her incredulously. And so did Seigaku's regular players.

"You think so?" asked Mai, "Me too! He's so cool!"

Atsuyo poked Mai's face, "No. That's not true. She really likes Fudomine's Shinji."

"TSUCCHI! THAT'S NOT TRUE!!!" Mai frowned, flailing her arms on the air.

Tatsue laughed heartily, "Sachimi-senpai actually likes a lot of boys."

"YOU'RE PICKING ON ME!" Mai pouted at her two teammates, "MEANIES!"

Atsuyo giggled as Tatsue continued on laughing. The sight of a laughing Tatsue reminded Sakuno of the times that they were alone, where Tatsue was an energetic, talkative and still sarcastic as ever kind of girl. Her teammates might just be some of her real friends who she can be herself.

Momoshiro pointed at the laughing Tatsue, and asked Sakuno, "Don't tell me she's like that all the time?"

"Well, Tatsue-chan… is lively, loquacious, and still sarcastic when we're alone…" said Sakuno, remembering the time she spent with the sardonic girl, "she doesn't want people flocking her much. That's why she's being so snobbish."

Kaidoh hissed. Tezuka remained silent. Ryoma tugged his cap down.

"Are you going to continue the wager?" asked Fuji, smiling.

Mai crossed her arms, "Hmm… Nah. Never mind that one!"

"Our senpai might know about it and they will hunt for our heads afterwards." Atsuyo added.

Seigaku wondered of the true nature of the girls.

"How's Natsume-san," asked Inui, his hand holding a pen, "as your captain?"

The three girls stopped dead. Tatsue plopped on the bench, beside Sakuno, while the other girls turned their back on the inquirer.

"Is she that bad?" asked Oishi.

"Quite the contrary." Said Mai, who still had her back turned.

"Our buchou…" muttered Atsuyo as she turned around to the boys, smiling, "we're so happy we met her."

"She may act childish most of the times, especially when she's not wearing our kendo uniform," Tatsue rested her chin on her left hand, gazing at the already laughing kendo captain, "she may have her own quirks that I can never understand." She stretched her arms, "We're really lucky to have her as our buchou."

Atsuyo continued, "A lot of people think that she's not taking her job as a captain seriously because she acts like there's nothing wrong. But they're the ones who can't understand."

"She takes her job seriously. And I mean, really seriously." Mai turned, "She just… doesn't want other people to worry. That's all."

"Are you just covering up for her?" Ryoma suddenly asked. The timid Atsuyo turned at Ryoma with murderous eyes.

Tatsue's eyes widened, "SENPAI!"

"ATSUYO!" shouted Mai.

**WHHOOOOSSSSSSSSHHHHHHH!**

A whiz of air passed through Ryoma's hair as Mai and Tatsue stopped Atsuyo from doing anything rash. Her shaking fist was barely an inch away from Ryoma's face, and her eyes were determined to hit him. Really hard.

Her trembling lips moved, "I dare you to say that again, Echizen Ryoma."

The look on her face never wavered. It was scary.

"Atsuyo!" Mai glared at her friend, her hand grasping Atsuyo's fist, "Stop that!"

"Che." Ryoma said, annoyed, "You're pathetic."

"Oi, Echizen, stop that!" Momoshiro warned the first year.

Oishi too had called out Ryoma's name just for him to stop talking but he continued, "You're being defensive. That means I'm right."

"ECHIZEN!" even Kikumaru shouted when usually, he was the one teasing people.

Somehow, he felt that the young prince had stepped on the line.

"This is the second time this day." Atsuyo muttered, her voice was rising, "You don't get it do you?!"

"Senpai!" Tatsue shouted. Sakuno grasped the hem of her skirt.

"You have no idea. You have no idea. And yet you talk big." She muttered, "I…" she flung her hand once more.

"ATSUYO!" Mai shouted again. Inui noted that it was the third time she's called Atsuyo by her first name, not by her nickname.

She hit the board behind Echizen, and glared at the uncaring boy.

Atsuyo stormed off, followed by Mai who bowed and apologized.

"I'm so sorry, Tsucchi's normally not like that." Mai was clenching her hand.

Tezuka replied and eyed the prince of tennis, "No, it wasn't your fault. No need to apologize."

"I'm really sorry!" she bowed again, and then whirled around, "TSUCCHI!"

Tatsue stood up quickly, and then muttered, "You know what, Echizen. You're not only the prince of tennis. You're the prince of denseness. The prince of arrogance. And also the prince of stupidity, I hope you enjoy the rest of your day. Now I feel stupid that I hadn't let my senpai punch that arrogant face of yours. You can die soon, you know that."

She followed her senpai.

The four third years had already come back from their "fighting". Surprised Ayashi asked, "Hey, where did our lower classmen go?"

"Maybe they got hungry from those laps!!" Jun said, touching her stomach with her palms, "I'm hungry too."

Mariko nodded, as the two girls had started going to the cafeteria, "Yeah, let's go eat. Hey, Seigaku, are you coming with us?"

"We'll pass." Tezuka said indifferently.

"Okay. If you say so, Tezuka-san." Mariko bowed a bit, "Oi, Emi-chan, c'mon." she then followed the two girls.

Her wide-rimmed glasses glistened, Emiko faced the tensed Seigaku.

"You know, our kohai won't leave that easily, knowing that Ayashi still hasn't come." She coldly said, "I don't even need to look at my notes. Seigaku… did you say something wrong about Ayashi in front of them?"

Inui looked surprised.

She sighed, "No use, I guess. Well… until next time. I hope you know your way out of Daidouji."

She walked away, without a glance back. She sensed something was wrong.

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Ryoma tugged his cap down; he knew there was a long sermon to go.

But he didn't expect this.

**SLAP!**

Ryuzaki Sakuno had just slapped Echizen Ryoma. Her tear stricken face still showed that she was upset with his cocky attitude earlier.

"Y-You're so insensitive, E-Echizen!" she shouted, dropped her hand and then ran away, towards the direction where Tatsue went. Seigaku stared, shocked, as she left.

"Oi, oi, ochibi, why did you do that?" asked Kikumaru, "Even Sakuno-chan was angry!"

Ryoma shifted his cap a bit, "It's true. So no reason why I shouldn't say that."

Kaidoh hissed angrily at the boy.

"But you still should've kept your mouth shut, Echizen, if you can't say anything right." Oishi reprimanded the boy.

"According to data, this was the first time Ryuzaki-san has called you by your last name, Echizen." Inui said, "Your act really did upset her."

"So what?" he said.

"Oi, you didn't have to say that to them!" Kawamura said, "You had made them upset!"

"It was really too insensitive of you, Echizen. I'm not impressed by your action." Fuji frowned.

"Fuji is right." Said Tezuka, watching Ryoma closely, "You're turning too insensitive. One hundred laps for you. Come to practice when you've understood what you've done."

Ryoma only walked away with his hands inside his pockets.

Momoshiro sighed, then scratched his hair, "I wonder… what's happened to Echizen."

"What do you mean by that, Momo?" asked Kikumaru.

"He is a bit of a cocky little brat sometimes… but… earlier… it was like it wasn't Echizen at all!" Momoshiro frowned, "He is arrogant, but he won't insult a person who isn't his direct opponent in tennis, right?"

"Good point." Inui said, and started scribbling on his notebook.

'_Echizen…_'

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A/N: Wow, I totally screwed up Ryoma's character here… I'm so sorry, Ryoma fans! SORRY! But I really have to make a bitch out of Ryoma's character!


	11. A Pink Wallet

** DISCLAIMER: Me do not own PoT.  
**

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**Chapter 11**

**A Pink Wallet**

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A word was passed on to the Seigaku players.

_There won't be a preparation day tomorrow. Have exams on Monday. – Natsume Ayashi, Daidouji Gakuen _

"Just in time, then." Fuji said, smiling, "We just needed a break too."

Seigaku had just returned to their school when they got the word, though Ryoma wasn't with them. Tezuka told him to go home and think about what happened when they reached the school grounds; Sumire was surprised by such and asked Tezuka what happened.

"That kid, what was he thinking?" Sumire rubbed her temples.

Tezuka sighed. What was Ryoma thinking indeed?

When dismissal came, Momoshiro immediately left the school grounds.

"According to my data, there's a seventy five percentage of him going to look for Echizen. A good twenty that he'll be looking for Tachibana An, while there's this slim chance of roughly 5 that he's really going home, but there's a less than 1 for just going to hang out somewhere."

"Are you going to follow him, Eiji?" asked Oishi.

Kikumaru shook his head, "I'll leave Ochibi and Momo for a while. I… have to go home! See you!" he then bounced off.

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"Ano… Tsucchi, are you sure that you're just OK?" asked Mai, sitting on a bench, with Atsuyo beside her.

Atsuyo nodded.

"Kitami-chan has already left, and she really looked pissed off." Mai twiddled with her fingers, "It's good that our senpai haven't noticed?"

"Was it?" Atsuyo's voice didn't seem to waver, "Wasn't it much more of a good idea that they did? So that we won't have to work with Seigaku again…"

Mai frowned, "I don't think that them noticing is a good thing. Even if Natsume-buchou knew about this, she'll only get angry at us and punish us. She'll never stop working with Seigaku because of this… brawl between us and Echizen."

Atsuyo's face showed a sign of utter displeasure, "That boy, Echizen. I don't like him."

"I can see that."

"The way he talks… sounding like he knows everything. I shouldn't have made a muffin for him."

Mai sighed, "But Tsucchi, we didn't know that he would do that to Natsume-buchou, right? Maybe…"

"I don't care what happens to him," said Atsuyo, irritated, "If Natsume-buchou still wants to work with them, fine, but I won't talk."

"Gah! Tsucchi, you're a personnel manager…" Mai suddenly stopped, "Hey… do you remember what buchou said earlier… did you know why she punished us after, you know, Chokichi…"

"I dunno."

"That still bothers me," pouted Mai, "_Anger dulls the blade_, huh?"

Atsuyo stood, "Well, I really have to leave now. Are you sure you don't want to stay at our house?"

"It's OK. We won't have to do anything tomorrow, right?" she replied, "I think I'd be staying here for a bit."

"Ja, then." Atsuyo took her belongings and went on her way.

Mai waved, "JA NE!"

The girl with pigtails stayed at the school until it was dark, until it was only the flickering post gave off light for the night strollers. A tall figure approached her.

It was Kikumaru Eiji.

"Nya nya hoi, Sachimi-chan!"

Mai raised a brow, "Wow, you sure have a thick face to show up here, Kikumaru-senpai."

"Oi, oi! Don't be mean, Sachimi-chan!" he complained at the clueless girl, then sat beside her.

Mai sighed, "Seems I have no choice then. Spill it out, senpai."

"Spill it out?" Kikumaru asked suspiciously, "What?"

"Eh?! Then why did you go here?"

Kikumaru looked away, "Nothing important… well, not really."

"…"

"Are you still angry with what Ochibi did?" he asked, not looking at the girl.

"Ochibi?"

"Echizen."

"Oh." She waggled her brows, "I dunno, but Tsucchi and Kitami-chan were really angry."

Kikumaru looked at the young girl, just moments ago she was bursting with life, and now, she looked serene and sad. She shuffled her feet anxiously.

"You know, Tsucchi's got a very bad temper. Even if she's just in a corner, she could see everything and anything." Mai continued, "She won't let anyone know what she's thinking… moreover, she won't let anything get to her… but… she's so loyal to our buchou."

"Any reason why?" asked Kikumaru.

"Buchou… isn't just our captain."

Every word Mai said, every movement of her lips showed nothing but sadness. Kikumaru couldn't understand how a lively and cheerful person like her could suddenly turn into something so… lonely.

Kikumaru continued for her, "She's also a friend, am I right? Or probably an older sister? Nya?"

Mai nodded.

"Ochibi is just a kid whose life is centered with tennis, did you know that?" said Kikumaru, shrugging.

"You're kidding." Mai stared at him cynically. Kikumaru shook his head.

"He's a very dense person and he can't recognize feelings like that easily, not to mention that he's still a kid. He couldn't even understand that Sakuno-chan likes him." He huffed comically.

"HA! I knew it!" Mai grinned, "Sakuno-chan does like that Echizen! Lucky guy, Sakuno-chan seems to be a very sweet girl!"

Kikumaru then remembered the previous "slap-session", "Ah, I don't know about that. Sakuno-chan just slapped Ochibi earlier."

"You're kidding."

"Nya!" pouted Kikumaru, "I'm not kidding!"

"Served him right."

Kikumaru stared at the girl, and smiled, "You seem to be much nicer today than our past talks."

"Eh?" Mai looked strangely at him, "Ah, well, we do have a good topic today, that's why."

"So, does that mean that you're only interested with good topics?" he asked.

"Do you like shounen-ai?" she asked.

"…"

"I knew it." She stuck her tongue out, "Did you know that doubles partners in tennis have the ever tendency to fall in love with each other without noticing?"

Kikumaru stared at the girl, "You're mean, Sachimi-chan!"

The girl giggled, and was followed shortly with Kikumaru's laughter.

"You're nicer than I thought, Kikumaru-senpai!" Mai smiled at the older boy, "I never liked flashy people."

"You don't? That's odd, 'cause you just said that I was nice." He rested his chin on his hand.

Mai smiled at him, "But you're different, Kikumaru-senpai."

Kikumaru was surprised with the girl's statement and wasn't able to reply. Mai took out her hand.

"Friends?"

Kikumaru looked at the hand before him, "Only when you call me Eiji-senpai."

"Eh?!" Mai pouted.

"C'mon, everybody calls me Eiji-kun or Eiji-senpai!" it was his turn to pout.

"Beh." Mai stuck her tongue out, but a small smile crept on her lips, "Fine then, Eiji-senpai."

Kikumaru smiled back.

"So, friends?"

He shook her hand, "Friends."

The two stared at each other for two whole minutes, with their hands still mingled with each other. It wasn't until someone interrupted them that they broke apart.

"Oi, Mai!" a boy with spiked dark brown hair ran towards the two of them. From what Kikumaru could see, he had an aura of utter arrogance.

Mai immediately pulled out her hand from Kikumaru's, then proceeded to cradle her hand with the other in front of her bosom, "T-Teruo-kun!"

Surprise crawled on Kikumaru's skin as the other boy kissed Mai on her cheeks, "Ah… I'm sorry." He turned to leave.

"Wait, Eiji-senpai!" Mai exclaimed. Kikumaru whirled back, she said, "Eiji-senpai, this is T-Teruo, my…"

"I'm her boyfriend, nice to meet you." Teruo continued, holding out his hand.

Kikumaru shook his hand, "Kikumaru Eiji, Sachimi-chan's senpai."

"We'll be leaving soon, Kikumaru-san, do you want to join us?" asked Teruo.

Kikumaru shook his head, "No. I… want to stay here for a while."

Teruo grabbed Mai by her arm and dragged her away, fortunately Mai was able to utter him a small "Ja ne" before he did so.

Somehow, Kikumaru couldn't help but smile when she said "Ja ne" while smiling at him, in direct contrast with the way she looked when her boyfriend, Teruo, came. It was odd, but he can't help but feel angry at Teruo when he dragged Mai away, it was obvious that he was hurting Mai, then again, Kikumaru want to kick his self mentally when he remembered that he wasn't able to do anything anyway.

He looked up at the sky, remembering slightly the peaceful look on Mai's face when she talked to him earlier. When he closed his eyes, still facing the sky, all he could see was the flickering sadness in Mai's eyes that only he could see.

He patted the part of the bench where Mai sat earlier, and then he noticed a light pink wallet on the ground.

"Oi, kid! It's late we're closing!" a security guard appeared.

Kikumaru stood up immediately, the wallet in his hand, "Ack! I forgot the time! Sorry, mister!"

Kikumaru bounced out of the school, gaining a scolding from the guards. But then, another playful smile crept on Kikumaru's lips as he clutched the pink wallet in his hand.

Another reason to see Mai again.

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A/N: So how's for my 11th chapter? Hehehe…


	12. RAINING!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own POT, not even my beloved Tezuka-kun!

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**Chapter 12**

"**RAINING!"**

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"Yes, mother, don't worry, your Tsucchi will be fine." Atsuyo twirled the cable connecting the speaker and the phone as a muffled voice talked on the other line, "Don't worry, I'll just be a little late. Yes… ja ne."

The night was young and Atsuyo didn't want to go home early. It was a good thing that she didn't have to go to the store because her brother, Higashi, had come earlier than expected. But she wouldn't come anyways even if he didn't… she had to think over things.

Again.

The red haired chef walked on the streets, staring emptily on the street walks, with no goal and with no strength.

She couldn't understand why their captain punished them, when they were just trying to protect her, moreover, keep those irritating people who kept on showing up on her office with seething eyes. She frowned at the thought.

'_Anger dulls the blade_'

Atsuyo's frown grew deeper. Sometimes she just couldn't understand their captain.

It began to rain. People had opened their umbrellas; some were running in different directions. Unfortunately, Atsuyo was one of those who ran with them.

"No…" Atsuyo realized that she had just been lost in another street, covering her head with her bag, she exclaimed "and I forgot to bring my umbrella!"

The rain was getting heavier and heavier, Atsuyo shook her wet head so that the excess rainwater would be lost, thrown away in the wind. But apparently that wouldn't work.

'_Must find shelter… must find shelter…_' she thought, and upon seeing a sushi store, she felt relieved. Not even bothering to look at the signboard.

Kawamura Sushi.

"Excuse me?" she peeked at the store. There weren't a lot of people inside, probably because of the rain.

"Welcome!" A middle aged man approached her, and upon seeing her condition, "You're soaking wet, ojou-san!"

Atsuyo had put her hand behind her head and uttered a small, "Ehehehe…"

The nice man had offered to lend Atsuyo a towel so that she could at least dry her hair, "Ojou-san, do you have a telephone number? We could call your parents to pick you up here."

"I'll do it, Mister." She stood up, but was stopped by a small girl, probably elementary.

"Nee-san, you have to dry up first," the girl wagged her finger, "Besides, you're a costumer!"

"B-but…"

The nice mister asked, "What's your phone number, ojou-san?"

After Atsuyo gave her number, the mister asked her what was her name so that when the other line would pick, they would know she was there. From the kitchen, Kawamura's head popped.

"Everything's settled inside, Dad!" Kawamura noticed the wet girl, and recognized her, "N-Nozomi-san!"

Atsuyo was surprised as well. But not in a good way.

She immediately made a grab for her things, but it seemed like the little girl was faster than she was. The little girl was already clutching her bag.

"Oi, chibi-chan, please bring back my bag." Atsuyo called out.

The little girl shook her head, and squeaked, "Nee-san, look at the weather outside!"

It was raining cats and dogs.

"My sister is right, Nozomi-san." Said Kawamura, "You should stay here for a while."

"Nozomi-chan! I've already called your parents," the nice mister, which Atsuyo had presumed was Kawamura's father, "Your mother said your brother will pick you up here after fifteen minutes."

'_Looks like I've got no choice then._' Atsuyo sighed, "Thank you, Kawamura-san."

"It's nothing," Kawamura's father said, "Tama-chan, could you take Nozomi-chan to the bathroom and let her have some spare clothes from your mother's closet."

"EH?! B-but K-Kawamura-san! This is too much!" protested Atsuyo.

"You're going to have pneumonia or something if you don't change your clothes, Nozomi-san." Said Kawamura, smiling.

Atsuyo held up her hands in surrender, while the younger girl jumped with joy with a reason she didn't know.

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After the good, warm bath, Atsuyo changed her clothes. She was wearing a white sleeved dress, as given to her by Tama. She took a peek at the mirror, she still hasn't found the answer to her question.

"Oi, Nee-san, are you finished?" squeaked the girl from the other side of the door.

Atsuyo smiled as she folded her wet clothes and put them on a plastic bag; Tama had reminded her of her own sister, Kohana.

"Yes, Tama-chan." Combing her wet short hair with her fingers, she exited the bathroom.

It wasn't only Tama who was on the other side after all. Kawamura, who had just come from the kitchen, had just went to the second floor, thus saw her.

He blushed, "Oh, sorry, Nozomi-san."

Atsuyo looked strangely at Kawamura, who ducked his head down.

_What a funny guy. What did he say sorry for? Maybe it was for what happened earlier…_

"It wasn't your fault." She muttered, berating herself mentally, didn't she promised that she wasn't going to speak to any Seigaku anymore?

Kawamura looked up, "B-but. We're his senpai, we should've been able to stop him."

"He's an arrogant and insensitive kid." Said Atsuyo, looking away. "I just don't like that."

Okay, so she's really going to break her promise this time.

Kawamura smiled awkwardly at her. She bowed a bit.

Tama tugged the hem of Atsuyo's borrowed clothes, "Let's go eat sushi!"

"Yeah." Atsuyo nodded.

Tama led Atsuyo downstairs by the hand; looking back, Atsuyo noticed a mess of brown hair suddenly disappearing into a room.

'_Kawamura-san?_'

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Atsuyo closed her eyes and exclaimed, "WHOA! This sushi is so good!"

"Dad is the best when it comes to making sushi!" Tama cried out, giving a thumbs up to her dad.

Her father laughed in agreement, "Oh, Nozomi-chan, do you want to have another plate?"

Atsuyo nodded. If she won't stop eating, she might get fat… but then again, the sushi was so… tasty! It was good that the knives were tucked away though.

"Here's our day's specialty, Takashi made them." Kawamura's father said, bringing out a large order of differently shaped sushi.

"Taka… oh, Taka-san." Smiled Atsuyo, remembering the nickname that she used to call Kawamura, as told to her by Momoshiro.

The food looked really delicious. Atsuyo picked the one with the crab meat, took a soy sauce, dipped it, and ate the thing whole.

"Mif mimifuf!" she said.

"Eh?!" Tama stared at her. So did Kawamura's father.

"Nozomi-san!" Kawamura called out, "You shouldn't talk when your mouth is full!"

Atsuyo gulped, "I said it was delicious!"

Kawamura blushed, "Y-you think so?"

Atsuyo nodded, "It's one of the most delicious sushi I've ever eaten!"

"I knew you'd be great with sushi, Takashi!"

Atsuyo took a bite, then another, and then another one. Tama giggled, "You sure do enjoy your food, don't you, Nee-san?"

"My mother has her own restaurant," she took another bite, "So I don't really eat anything else aside from food prepared by mom."

"But I thought you could cook?" asked Kawamura.

Atsuyo nodded, "I do… but…"

"I… er… you don't have to answer that!" Kawamura put his hand before him, and then sat down across the table watching the usually timid girl wolfing down his cooking. Somehow he was proud that she liked them.

"Mmm… so good." Atsuyo said, finally finished eating. She turned to Kawamura, "Ne, senpai, how much was it?"

Kawamura's father laughed, "Don't worry about it, Nozomi-chan. It's on the house."

"W-what?! B-but Kawamura-san!" she protested, "I ate your food that's supposed to be served to your costumers!"

"Actually, it's already past closing time." Kawamura pointed at the clock hanging on the wall, "Your brother seemed to be late."

Tama yawned, "Onii-chan, Dad, I'm going to sleep. Dad, could I sleep with mom today?"

"What? You already went to our bed last night!" the old man frowned, following the little Tama upstairs, "Takashi, wait here until Nozomi-chan's brother arrives and don't forget to lock the door!"

"Yes, dad!" he replied with a shout.

Atsuyo sat silently on the other side of the table; her things were neatly tucked away inside her bag, which was on her right side of the chair. She hummed a little, tapping her forefinger on the table.

Kawamura gulped. How the hack was he going to talk to her?

Atsuyo stared at the flustered senpai.

"Taka-san." She asked, "Was that boy… Echizen… really like that?"

Surprised, Kawamura looked at the girl who was playing with her wet necktie, "Huh?"

"I mean, is he always insensitive and uncaring?"

"Well…" Kawamura scratched his face with his finger, "Not really…"

Atsuyo continued to stare at him, as if the gesture said that he continued.

"He can be cocky and arrogant at times, but he can be nice too. I think Momo is right, maybe something bad happened that's why Echizen acted like that." Kawamura rubbed his chin with his fingers, "Uhm, yeah. That must be it."

"Eh?! So you're not sure?"

Kawamura laughed awkwardly, "That Echizen, he's usually quiet, but I don't think that he's normally like that… I mean, with what happened earlier."

Atsuyo nodded. She fell silent, and started to pay attention to the falling raindrops outside. Kawamura sighed.

"Ne, Taka-san," she piped, "Do you think… I was at fault earlier? With what I did?"

"Eh?!"

"Taka-san!"

"I mean, well, I'm not really sure with your standards." He leaned on the chair, "But you see, Echizen isn't a disrespectful person. I know he would provoke his tennis opponents before a match, but I've never seen him as disrespectful…"

"…"

"But I have to say…" like magic, a racket "magically" appears beside the chair, "BURNNNINNNG, BABY!!"

Atsuyo's eyes widened, "W-wait, Taka-san! Calm down!"

"ECHIZEN SHOULD GET HIS KICKED ASS!"

Atsuyo covered her eyes (comically), "It's get "his ass kicked", Taka-san."

"YYEEEAAHHHHHH!"

Atsuyo noticed that he wasn't acting like that earlier and came to the conclusion that it must've been a "cursed racket" or something that caused his one-hundred eighty degree shift of character. She held his hand, which he was waving aimlessly and carefully removed the racket from his grasp.

"…"

"…"

**SWEATDROP**

Atsuyo closed her eyes and sighed. (a hobby of hers, perhaps?)

_Anger dulls the blade… what could've Natsume-buchou done when she was in my position?_

She frowned, "Nozomi-san, are you OK?"

"Ah, yes. Sort of, but nothing to worry about… it's just that…"

"?"

Atsuyo frowned deeper, "Buchou was right. _Anger dulls the blade_. I wasn't thinking."

"But, you just defended your captain, there was nothing wrong with that."

Atsuyo shook her head, "I have been blinded by my anger, and attacked Echizen. I wasn't thinking. I must've been like Chokichi-senpai at that time."

Kawamura remained silent.

"You know, Taka-san," she played with her necktie again, "I really admire our buchou. She's so… great, and… she's everything I want to be."

"…"

Sighing, she rested her arms on the table, "But she always told me that I was great in my own way… but, I want to be like her! She's so perfect!"

"No one's perfect. Nozomi-san." Kawamura suddenly said, with his stubbornness showing, "I think your captain doesn't want you to be like her."

"But she's so perfect! She's great in kendo, she's beautiful (Kawamura: Eh?), she's nice, and everyone likes her (Kawamura: Was she really in the office earlier?)."

Kawamura sighed. Atsuyo seemed to be really determined that her captain was perfect.

"Zzzzzz…."

"?!"

"Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz…."

Atsuyo had already slept. The timid power player paled.

Was he that much of a bore?

"HELLO?!" a strange voice came from outside, "Is Tsucchi there?"

Kawamura opened the door. It was Higashi, Atsuyo's elder brother; he then noticed that the rain had already stopped.

"Oh, it's you." Higashi said, then proceeded inside, without much further ado; he noticed his sleeping younger sister, "Sleepyhead."

"You'll be leaving soon?" asked Kawamura.

Higashi nodded. He carried his sister on his back and let her hands limp lifelessly before him, "Yeah, sorry I only got here. Mom couldn't let me go outside when it was still raining outside."

"I see…"

"Did my sister bother you?" he asked.

Kawamura vigorously shook his head.

Higashi waggled his brows, "Ah, well. I'll still be apologizing if she did."

The older Nozomi turned to leave when Kawamura asked, "Why does your sister idolize her captain that much?"

Higashi whirled at the other boy, "Don't dare say that to Ayashi."

"Huh?"

"She'll be furious." Higashi shook his head, "She's always told them this: (1)_ admiration is the farthest thing from understanding_. But my sister never learned."

Kawamura looked at the boy, then at the sleeping form behind him. He nodded.

Higashi sighed, "My sister, even though she's already thirteen, still has lots to learn. Whatever she did today, please, don't take it too much on her."

"_She still is a child-minded girl."_

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

A/N: Bohahaha, twelfth chappie! BOHAHAHA…

-- a name I just made up, since I don't know what exactly Taka-san's sister's name is, and the rest of his family…


	13. Hands

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN PRINCE OF TENNIS!

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**Chapter 13**

"**Hands"**

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_Pok._

_Pok._

_Pok._

_Pok._

"Shit. I missed again."

Street tennis wasn't exactly his most favorite pastime (with eating I guess as his most favorite, annoying _Mamushi_ comes as second, and tennis as third while street tennis is pretty much his fourth…), but whenever Momoshiro doesn't want to think of something that's bothering him, he goes out to play.

_Pok._

He hit the ball back.

_Pok._

_Pok._

And hit again.

_WHOOSH_

The ball went past him.

A certain brown-haired girl with pink barrettes threw her racket over her right shoulder and went near the net.

"Momoshiro-kun, you're not paying attention to the ball!" Ann frowned. The last time he was doing this kind of playing… when he was dropped off from the regulars' line up.

"You won?" Momoshiro down at the second year from Seigaku, "…"

Ann sighed.

_What the heck is wrong with him again?_

Momoshiro swung his racket to his shoulder and went to the bench right beside the tennis court. There, he threw his upper uniform to his vacant shoulder, warning that he would be leaving soon.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" she shouted as he turned his back on her.

"Home." He muttered, sighing. He suddenly felt someone hauling his left cheek, "Ow! Ow! Stop it!"

Ann tugged his cheek lower, "Not until you say that you won't leave right now, OK?"

"OW! OK! OK!" he shouted unwillingly, since he knew that if he didn't Ann would just pinch his cheeks harder.

Ann smiled, "Perfect." Ann started to pack her things, and swung her bag, unwittingly hitting Momoshiro at the sides.

"Oops." She peeked out a little of her tongue, "Sorry, Momoshiro-kun."

Momoshiro held the part where he was hit and mumbled, "Ow. Ow. Ow… first my cheek and now… ow…"

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

Momoshiro and Ann walked together in the streets of Kantou, though the guy had no idea where they were going. A smile crept on Ann's rosy lips (as noted by Momoshiro) as they approached a small fast food chain.

"Eh?" Momoshiro raised a brow as he looked at the mascot at the corner of the door.

An ant.

_What the heck?! Are we going to where kids are? _

Momoshiro heard Ann mutter, "Perfect."

_Perfect?! What?! Since when a place like this is perfect?! Perfect for kids… but… middle school students? _

Momoshiro felt his hand being held tightly and being dragged by this second year from Fudoumine, "Oi, Momoshiro, c'mon, let's order our food already!"

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

It wasn't exactly their taste, but the food was tasty anyway. Ann watched the boy wolf hungrily at the food served to them. There must be something wrong with him again, there was no other reason he'd let her win so easily.

"Mfmfhf mff fmfmf…"

Ann quirked a brow.

_What?_

Momoshiro swallowed everything in his mouth, but started to choke. He tried to grab a plastic cup of soft drinks, but only managed to spill the contents of the cup. It was Ann who gave him the drink properly.

"You can be an idiot, you know." Ann shook her head.

Momoshiro rested his chin on his right hand and stared at the already blackened sky. It wasn't supposed to be like this, but he just can't help but be preoccupied by the incident in Daigaku.

Ann sighed as she watched her friend get lost in thoughts, it wasn't always that she could see him be fixated with anything other than tennis.

"You know, you could tell me about what's been bothering you."

Momoshiro sighed, "You don't have anything to do with it, I don't want you to be involved in something you shouldn't…"

He felt another surge of pain on his cheek as Ann pulled the corner of his face, "You're really an idiot."

"Huh?"

"I doesn't matter if I'm not involved in it or what, that's why we're friends, right?"

Momoshiro sighed again, Ann sure was pushy that afternoon. But what can he do? It was Ann who had started talking, she was right.

There was no reason why he shouldn't tell her anything.

It had already started raining heavily, but Momoshiro hadn't stopped talking yet and Ann gazed at the sky, wondering how things could happen in such pace.

_It was maybe because Ryoma was being a jerk; then again, he's been a jerk sometimes. Well, not that much of a jerk. But cocky, yeah maybe that._

_Or it could be because it was girls that Ryoma had pissed off. Or it could be because Sakuno had slapped Ryoma's face. Or it could be because of the suddenness of things that was troubling him._

_It was just a week ago since they met those girls, then they were forced to work with them, and just when they thought everything was going smoothly._

Ann felt a whoosh of air escape her as she rubbed her temples. It spelled trouble. But she then thought that it really shouldn't bother Seigaku so much because… hhmm… because they really weren't connected whatsoever in the first place…

Then again…

Ann sighed. Again. It was getting confusing already.

Momoshiro watched the seemingly irate girl out of the corner of his violet eyes, who seemed to be unwillingly sucked (mentally though) into the mess that those girls from Daigaku made. He watched as she curled her lips, forming a frown that Momoshiro thought was a bit cute; actually, even if she smiled or frowned, he would still think that she looked cute.

He then remembered how many times Ann had helped him, despite the fact that she was a Fudoumine and he was a Seigaku.

_Guess being in different schools doesn't mean a lot… especially to them._

"Momoshiro-kun…" she had finally spoken.

Momoshiro averted his gaze to her, "What is it?"

"I think you should stop it." She sighed.

"What?!" he didn't notice the rise in his voice, "But Tachibana's little sister-"

"Hmph! I have a cute name, Momoshiro-kun!" Ann pouted, "Anyway, you really don't have to do that, right? I guess, just because your coach said that you should, that doesn't mean you have to. Not to mention that you still have another tournament to finish, that should be your aim, not some kind… of rubbish."

"You have a point," Momoshiro turned his attention to the now empty plastic cup, "But… we sort of have to finish this one."

"What?"

"I mean, we started doing this, then we have to finish it kind of thing. Besides, even Mamushi doesn't complain that much." He shrugged.

Ann frowned, "Then you don't have to tell me about it. It seems like you're determined enough to finish whatever that is."

"Oi, don't be like that, An. It's not like I'll no longer go and see you if I go and help those girls." Momoshiro said without even thinking.

The statement itself made An blush, plus the look on Momoshiro's face like he said it without thinking twice made her blush go like, 1000 percent redder than usual.

"M-Momo…"

"Oh, shit." Momoshiro suddenly said, snapping the daydreaming Ann back to reality, "Do you have an umbrella with you?"

"Eh?" Ann gave a surprised look at Momoshiro, who pointed outside. An immediately searched her bag and found none, "Oh no!"

Momoshiro asked, "I have one here, where is your house?"

"My house?! We can just wait until the rain stops, you know!"

"Ack, Tachibana will kill me if you'll not go back to your house early." Momoshiro said as he grabbed for his bag, swinging them to his shoulder. He seized Ann's stuff too, "C'mon."

"Momo!" Ann didn't realize that she looked so flustered when Momoshiro snatched her hands and yanked her along with him.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

They were already just some steps away from the Tachibana residence, all the while both of them were silent, and it seemed like the tip-tapping of the rain could only be heard as they walked together under the small shelter of the black umbrella that Momoshiro had brought.

Ann was about to say something when Momoshiro grunted, they were already at Ann's house.

"Well… I guess this is goodbye for today." Said Momoshiro, as they still stayed outside the house.

Ann felt a surge of blood on her cheeks. It wasn't always like this. Or it could be because of her teenage (since she's thir_teen_) hormones that seemed to have a very wrong timing, "Uh…"

And Momoshiro being the simple-minded guy that he is, teased her, "Oi, oi, An. You're blushing! Is it because of me?"

"As if, Momoshiro!" she turned away her face haughtily, earning a laugh from the porcupine-haired boy. A smile played on her lips and after some seconds, their laughter could be heard, under the trickle of rain, under the light post, under the dark clouds.

With a smile, they bade each other their byes for now.

Ann happily greeted her brother, who was having dinner with the rest of Fudoumine as they planned to do that night. Kippei noticed the unusual outburst of happiness from her sister, but it seemed like he wasn't the one who had noticed.

"Hmmm…" Shinji started mumbling loudly, completely unaware that it was heard by everyone in that room, "Why is Ann so happy? Could it be because she's got a boyfriend? No, that's impossible… but then again, it could be because of her quiz or something. But what if that Momoshiro from Seigaku had caused her to be so happy-" Kamio's ears pricked, "-that sneaky bastard… trying to one-up Fudoumine… but I thought he was getting along so well with that bastard Echizen… hmmm…"

Kippei coughed, causing Shinji to snap from his "reverie".

"Ah, sunmason." Shinji apologized.

In Ann's room…

Ann plopped on her bed, with her arms outstretched; her smile never left her reddened face, and still felt a little giddy. She turned to her side and stared lovingly at her hand which was held earlier by Momoshiro; she smiled and blushed.

_Maybe I shouldn't wash this hand… it still smells like Momo…_

Ann giggled and her giggles turned into a meaningful laughter that only she understood.

Maybe she'll ask Sakuno how to make those obentos.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

Momoshiro looked back at the Tachibana residence for the nth time. He still can't forget the look on Ann's face when he grabbed her hand, and said goodbye to her as he gripped her hand tighter.

He couldn't help but smile. He couldn't help but feel his heart skip a beat.

Even though the rain seemed to drown the world, he could see the moonlight from behind the thick clouds, the silver lining of hope… hope of what?

Momoshiro shook his head. What if Ann doesn't like him the way he liked her? He gazed at his large palms and remembered how warm and soft Ann's hand were… Momoshiro shook his head once again.

He really needs to play street tennis again, if it wasn't for the darned rain!

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A/N: Another feeble attempt to write fluff!PoT… I don't have exactly a good grasp on the characters, so… IDEAS ARE VERY MUCH WELCOME. Especially since I'm a person who easily gets the "author's block", a very annoying disease of fanfiction/fiction/story writers…

Does JKR ever have author's block? How about CS Lewis? Or Stephen King?

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	14. Not Giving Up Yet

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN PRINCE OF TENNIS!!!!

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**Chapter 14**

"**Not Giving Up Yet"**

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Riiinggggg……..

………….

………

Riiinggggg………….

…………

The sound of the telephone ring echoed through the seemingly empty room, a door opened and a sleepy small figure reached for the noisy communication device.

'Hello?' a small voice said from the other line, 'Could I Tatsue-chan, please? This is Ryuzaki-'

"Ah, I can hear you." Yawned Tatsue, her hair not in her usual pigtails, but rather in a very, very messy do, "Why up so early?"

'Well… could I talk to you… I mean, let's go out today… I mean, now…' said Sakuno on the other line.

"Saku-chan, it's-" she looks on the Pikachu-designed wall clock, "-five in the morning, isn't it too early?"

'…'

"Hello? Saku-chan?"

'Tatsue-chan, it's nine in the morning.'

Tatsue raised a brow, "You're kidding, in my clock it says…" it was then that she noticed that the hands of the clock weren't moving, "… shit."

'What's that?'

"I… I mean, where are we meeting? Uh, okay, see you there. Yeah, in thirty minutes maybe… ok, see you later." Said Tatsue as she hung up, "Oh shit."

Tatsue shouted, "How am I supposed to know the time!?"

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

Thankfully, Tatsue was able to go to the playground in Tsuyu Tei Park on time. What she didn't expect though, was the presence of a certain boy who she doesn't have any idea who, but seemed to know Sakuno since they were talking to each other. The boy had striking messy black hair, with streaks of light brown accentuating his hair, he stood in front of Sakuno, who was sitting on one of the seats of the swing.

She just watched as the boy waved goodbye to Sakuno, who seemed to be very flustered. Tatsue smiled wickedly and started to tease Sakuno.

"Aiiee!! Who was that boy?" Tatsue pointed at the boy, "Ah! Saku-chan!"

Sakuno blushed a bit, "T-that was a friend, Kenichi-kun. Just a friend!"

"Ah, really? Then why are you blushing?"

"…"

"Oi, Sakuno-chan."

"…"

"C'mon, I was just teasing you. It's not always that you speak to another boy, you know… well, at least, aside from those Seigaku boys." She snarled, reminding herself of the arrogant and cocky boy who insulted them.

Sakuno sighed, "You see… Kenichi-kun… was the first boy to talk to me…"

"Eh? What do you think about that cocky bas- I mean, Ryoma-kun, or your senpai, Momo-chan?" she asked, sitting on the vacant seat beside Sakuno.

"I mean, he talked to me… like I was a girl…" said Sakuno, ducking her head low, "Ryo-Echizen… I think he even doesn't even know I'm a girl… while Momochan-senpai… and the others, I'm just like a little sister who always needs their help…"

Tatsue didn't know whether she was going to say if what she thinks is true, or she'll comfort her. An idea popped in her mind, "Then you must the best little sister who is a cook in the whole world."

Sakuno frowned, "Tatsue-chan!"

"Oi, where's your friend? Osakada-chan?" asked Tatsue, since she thought that Tomoka seemed to be in very friendly terms with Sakuno.

"She can't go today; she's babysitting her little brothers." Sakuno shuffled her feet nervously.

Tatsue nodded. Sakuno watched her friend a little, noting that whenever they talk of younger siblings, she would shut up abnormally.

"What do you think of Kenichi-kun?" Sakuno fiddled with her delicate fingers.

"I dunno. Haven't spoken to him, but you seemed to be a little happier than usual… oh, I just remembered, you called _your_ prince Echizen? That's new!" Sakuno's frown dug deeper, "Oi, what's with that frown?!"

"I…"

"You?"

"I think it's natural that I call him like that… I did give up on him, didn't I?" lied Sakuno, though of course, she did say that she was giving up on Ryoma, but it was obvious that she still liked him.

"Yare, yare. You're such a bad liar, Ryuzaki Sakuno." Tatsue quirked a brow, "It's painted all over your face. You still like him."

"I-it's not true!" stuttered Sakuno, her face flustering.

"You really surprised me when you said that you gave up on him, but as they say, actions speak louder than words."

"You're not listening to me, Tatsue-chan!" shouted Sakuno, surprising Tatsue, "I'm giving up on Echizen! Period!"

She walked out on Tatsue.

"Oh… really. All I see is a semi-colon." Tatsue muttered, seeing the look on her friend's face. She walked to the direction where Sakuno went, thinking of what would've made Sakuno be that edgy.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

She managed to catch up to Sakuno, who was _almost_ crying. It was then that Sakuno told her that she prove that she gave up on Ryoma when she slapped him on the face. Tatsue looked at her friend in utter disbelief and told Sakuno that she shouldn't have done that, but was retorted back by Sakuno, saying that she did that because she saw Tatsue really upset by what happened.

"Sakuno-chan, I was upset, yes. I do not deny that, but you shouldn't have done that." Said Tatsue, as she and Sakuno walked in the streets aimlessly.

Sakuno frowned, "But I did it… because I was worried about you."

"I know, but still, your friendship with Ryoma-kun, it is much more important that anything else." Tatsue said putting her hands inside her jacket, "He was your source of inspiration in tennis, right?"

Sakuno frowned, haven't they talked about this days ago? Wasn't this a closed case already?

"I just want to have my own… well… playing style…" said Sakuno.

"You _do_ have your own playing style, Sakuno-chan. An inspiration is different from an original copy of your style; if you wish to become stronger, maybe, have yourself a certain person to defeat."

"A person to defeat?" asked Sakuno.

"Yeah, I mean, everyone has their own rivals, or someone who a person would think would be their ultimate adversary. Maybe you should try finding a person who you want to defeat!" exclaimed Tatsue, making Sakuno stop.

"Uhm… maybe… does that mean that you have your own rival too?" asked Sakuno.

"Of course! Though I haven't actually defeated that person, but I will do everything until I defeat that person!" Tatsue balled her fists and punched in the air.

With some degree of lack of luck, Tatsue and Sakuno accidentally bumped into a group of seemingly older middle school students. They glared at the two girls, as the two girls took s step backwards.

"Sorry." Tatsue bowed and frowned, "We weren't looking."

Sakuno frowned too; she didn't like it, "Ano… sorry."

The middle schoolers advanced, "What? Just sorry? Look, kiddies, our stuff are all spilled."

One of them "accidentally" kicked a bag, scattering its contents on the ground.

Tatsue glared at the boys, "We didn't do that. We just bumped on you. We said sorry, we're leaving. C'mon." she seized Sakuno's hand and was about to leave when a boy's hand shot out and grabbed Sakuno's shoulder and forcing her to stumble and fall backwards.

"Sakuno-chan!" shouted Tatsue, she scrambled to the other girl's help, but they were cornered by the towering boys.

One of them sneered, "Do you think what you've done will just be forgiven?!"

"Little bastards!" one of them commented spitefully.

Tatsue helped Sakuno get up, and put her arms before Sakuno, "You stay there." She turned at the bullies, "You jerks, just because we're smaller than you!"

"Heh?! You still have the guts to talk back like that!" a hulky guy snarled and hit Tatsue's face.

"Tatsue-chan!" Sakuno exclaimed as she saw a trickle of blood come out from Tatsue's nose.

Tatsue shot a glare at the boys, "Son of a bitch." She snatched a small rock and threw it at the boys.

"What was that?! Eh? A rock!" the boys laughed mockingly, "You can't even throw properly!"

The hulky guy walked towards the girls, his face maniacal, he cupped Sakuno's face, "Heh, if only you girls didn't look cute, you would've been beaten up already!"

Sakuno was about to cry when Tatsue hit the guy on his left eye with a huge rock (yes, a very violent girl… no wrath hath like a woman (or girl) I say!), "SON OF A BITCH! HOW DARE YOU TOUCH SAKUNO-CHAN LIKE THAT!"

"BITCH!" the hulky guy spat out. The boys were about to attack the girls, Tatsue gritted her teeth. They were in a very sticky situation. Sakuno looked away as Tatsue felt an unusual hiccup escape her.

"Hic." She blurt out right after a tall, black haired dude caught one of the bullies' hand as it had almost come close to the girls. The attackers shivered in fear as they saw the guy; the "tall, black haired dude" threw the hulking guy's hand back. He looked back at the girls. It was Seigaku's Mamushi.

"K-Kaidoh-senpai?!" the two girls chorused. That was rather… unexpected.

"Fsshhhh…" hissed Kaidoh, turning his gaze once more at the bullies who paled as Kaidoh took a step forward.

_Whoosh_

A tennis ball averted their attention as it squarely hit the hulking guy at the other uninjured eye, making him look like he wore some odd glasses. It seemed like it wasn't only Kaidoh who went to help them.

"Fsshhhh…"

"Sorry. My ball slipped." An extremely familiar cocky voice said from behind the two girls, making them jump a bit. Sakuno's eyes widened.

"R-Ryoma-kun…" her lips parted as she whispered his name silently into the air.

Tatsue arched a brow, "Surprise, surprise. Hic. Seems like her prince is back. Hic. Damn, what's with all this-hic-hiccupping?"

The guy who was hit with the ball, somehow pulled his self together and told his "goons" to attack; unfortunately for him, the presence of Mamushi and the extremely scary tennis show off by Ryoma was enough to scare off his friends. With this, he scurried off to, well, somewhere.

The two girls bowed at the two Seigaku regulars as they thanked them for helping them against the bullies. Tatsue even apologized (though it was sort of half-heartedly) of saying those "rude things" to Ryoma, which was sort of disregarded a bit as Ryoma pointed out how weird it was that she was hiccupping a lot. Sakuno smiled a bit when she heard Ryoma say that he shouldn't have told that about the kendo club's captain. This surprised Tatsue as she didn't exactly see Ryoma as Sakuno does.

But what she did next wasn't exactly a common practice.

"Hey, hic-Kaidoh-senpai." She called at the scary viper, "Thank you. You're a lot kinder than I expected."

She smiled at him, making him blush.

"S-shut up." He blushed even more, gaining an arch of brow from the pigtailed girl.

"How naïve." She said, as she watched the older boy walk away from the scene, still blushing hard.

"Tatsue-chan, you're not hiccupping anymore." Sakuno pointed out. Tatsue pursed her lips a bit.

"Uh… yeah."

Ryoma just stared at the two girls as he opened his newly bought can of Ponta.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

It was almost noon when the two girls parted ways, as Tatsue told Sakuno that she still had to grocer for the coming week's supplies. Tatsue jokingly told Ryoma that he shouldn't get Sakuno out of his sight because he might lose her; this however was taken a bit seriously by Ryoma as when right after Tatsue told him that, he took Sakuno's hand and showed it to Tatsue.

"I'm not going to let go, see?" he told the other girl, surprising both girls in the process. Sakuno blushed even harder than Kaidoh.

"Hmm… maybe he's not as dense as I think he is." Tatsue thought, smirking. She then remembered, "HA! I knew it! Sakuno-chan's not over Ryoma-kun yet! HA!"

A wicked smile played on Tatsue's lips as she bade goodbye to the "couple". She then remembered.

"Holy crap. Now she's got two crushes!" she then remembered her senpai, Hide Emiko, "Nah… compared to her (Emiko), having two crushes at once is pretty much normal."

Tatsue gave another look back at the two people she left behind.

"Hehehe, I hope you have tons of luck in your love life to compensate your tennis life, Saku-chan." She whistled off into somewhere.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

Ryoma and Sakuno just stood there; the blush still evident in the latter's face because the former still hadn't let go.

"A-Ano… Ryoma-kun… you can let… go now…" said Sakuno, looking away from the boy.

Ryoma stared at the girl, "I told that brat I won't, c'mon, let's go find food."

Sakuno heard his stomach grumble, agreeing with his statement earlier. She smiled a bit, despite the fact that she had just turned red because of his earlier answer. Maybe… she'd want to know more about Ryoma, about what he likes… aside from tennis of course. She felt herself being tugged with him, as he walked off.

Sakuno and Ryoma found themselves staring at a shop that didn't seem to be familiar to both of them; the two looked at each other.

"C'mon." Ryoma said, pulling her with him as he entered the shop.

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A/N: Chapter 14 done! Hehehe, I don't like pulling off an HBP!H/G, so I made Sakuno break her promise a little earlier… besides I like her all blushing and loving and sweet to Ryoma-kun! 3 Aieeeee!!!! (was my take on Kaidoh right? I mean, that he easily blushes?)


	15. Welcome, Seigaku!

DISCLAIMER: (Wow, I'm getting tired of putting this always!) I DO NOT OWN PRINCE OF TENNIS.

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**Chapter 15**

**WELCOME, SEIGAKU!**

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_-THE MONDAY AFTER THE SLAP-SESSION THINGY-_

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

-IN DAIGAKU THAT DAY-

Mariko opened the door to Ayashi's office, bringing with her a small plastic bag, only to be surprised by the havoc inside her friend's workplace.

A set of books was sent flying off into somewhere as Daigaku's PR and Liaison's officer, Natsume Ayashi, looked to and fro for a missing paper note. Her office table was a mess, paper clips were scattered everywhere and some of her academic notebooks were strewn all over the place.

"Oi, what happened here?" asked Mariko, dodging easily an unopened box of paper clips as she closed the door. With her eyes closed, she sidestepped as another book was sent flying by her friend; when she reached the table, Mariko put the plastic bag on top of the table.

"OI! I'VE JUST PRESSED MY CLOTHES!" Ayashi looked at Mariko with puppy eyes and grabbed her friend's collar.

"Maaarrriiikooooo-chhhhaaaaannn!" Ayashi screwed up her face as she let go of the newly-pressed uniform, "Have you seen the note?! That… idiotic… note after I made the invitation for Seigaku?"

"Eh?" the fukubuchou looked clueless at the panicking buchou, "What are you talking about?"

"The note! The one I told you not to give them! The one that had my… er… insults… I mean, insights about Tezuka-san!" she flailed her hands into the air.

Mariko replied, "Oh, that one. I don't know about it. Maybe ask Emiko, she'll know. She's the one with Shin who brought the letter to Seigaku."

Ayashi nodded vigorously, then just noticed the package on the table.

"What's that?" she pointed at the plastic bag.

Mariko pulled out "casual-looking" clothes, "Your costume for tomorrow's presentation. Bunta was supposed to deliver it but he's got some stuff to do with his art class… for tomorrow."

Ayashi nodded, "Just leave it there… or in my bag, just in case. Well, I'm off to find-" the door opened, revealing a group of three people, "-Oh! Emi-chan! I'm so glad I saw you!"

"Yeah, me too, Ayashi-chan! We've already given the invitation to Seigaku!" Emiko gave a thumbs up to the paling Aya, "Shin-chan (no! It's not Shinchan Nohara! Not that pervert kid!) helped me!"

"Hi, Aya-chan, Mariko-chan." Greeted Jun.

"Good day to you, Honey and Star!" a girlish person appeared behind Emiko. She winked at the two girls, "Lovely as ever, ne?"

"Hi, Shin-chan!" Mariko and Ayashi said in unison. Ayashi piped, "You helped without any kind of commission? That's a miracle!"

Emiko giggled, "Not actually. I told Shin that there were a lot of cute girls in Seigaku."

Ayashi and Mariko blanched. The buchou then remembered the reason why she was about to look for Emiko; when she told her friend about the wrong ending note, Emiko gasped. Shin smirked at how interesting it was.

"Oh no! I've already given it to Sakuno-chan!"

"OH SHIT." Ayashi paled, if it was even possible.

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-LATER, ON SEIGAKU-

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_Greetings, __**Seishun Gakuen Academy**_

_You're invited to attend at __**Daidouji Gakuen High School's Special Arts Day**__ this coming Tuesday to witness series of performances and acts by different classes. _

_Some of the presentations include:_

_street dancing_

_singing_

_play/dramas_

_This is a small taste of what our school will present for next month's Winter Festival!_

_We hope that you could come!_

_**Natsume Ayashi**_

_**Nakatsukasa **_

_**Daidouji Gakuen High School**_

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Sumire reread the invitation once more and passed it to the Seigaku captain, who after a few seconds passed it to the fukubuchou, who passed it to Kikumaru after a minute, who passed it to Fuji who looked mildly surprised, who passed it to Inui, who took a few minutes reading it because he scribbled some notes in his notebook before passing it to Kawamura, who was holding his racket at that time and made such a huge fuss about it, who passed it to Kaidoh who blushed non-stop for a reason the others didn't know, who because he was blushing, didn't mind that he gave it to Momoshiro who grinned when he read about it, who passed it to the already-relieved-to-his-position Ryoma (how, you'll know in later chapters!), who looked like he didn't like what he was reading.

"What do you think, Tezuka?" asked the bewildered Sumire.

Tezuka sighed, "…"

"Ano… obaa-san." Chimed Sakuno, "I forgot to give you this…" she held out a small note, which was reluctantly taken by the already headache-stricken Sumire.

If only she had known that the tennis club's performance would be affected a bit too much by the sudden interaction with a school such as Daigaku, maybe she wouldn't have agreed with the girls.

When Sumire had already read the contents of the note, a smirk lit up her face, "That sneaky Natsume."

Tezuka lifted a brow as Sumire laughed her heart out before she passed the note to Tezuka.

**VEIN POPPED (**very weird of Tezuka having "unknown" temper suddenly rising...)

Tezuka crumpled the paper in his hand and told the Seigaku regulars that they will be going to Daigaku the next day. Sumire laughed even harder as Tezuka threw the paper on the floor and left the room almost immediately, and at the first time, looking a little pissed off.

**SWEATDROP**

Oishi picked the crumpled paper and said as he read it, "I wonder what happened to-"he cut his own words as he too, started to laugh a bit.

He gave it to Fuji, who looked slightly flabbergasted by Tezuka's sudden walk out, and continued to laugh. The rest of the team gathered around as they read the contents of the paper that made their buchou lose his patience a bit.

Ryoma snorted at the writing in the paper. _She really has the nerve to mock buchou… what a freak._

The rest of the players burst out laughing, due to the last parts of the message.

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_PS: I want you to come so that Seigaku could learn how to do these kinds of stuff, since I don't exactly think they could dance, sing nor act (though in this I CAN be wrong). I can't be too careless in letting them take the scripts and act like __**idiots**__ in front of the camera, right? Most especially __**Tezuka**__-san, since he doesn't seem to have any facial expression aside from that serious face of his. __**(THIS I AM SURE OF!!!!)**__ Maybe he could at least __**learn**__ to, you know, make a fake smile after watching those stuff. (PEACE!)_

_-- AYASHI_

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-THE NEXT DAY-

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Seigaku, sans Sumire, arrived at the gates of Daidouji early that day and unlike the first time they went there, the place was no longer dull as the festive mood seemed to have seeped through the walls as the vines were blooming with beautiful winter flowers and there were fireworks in the early day.

"It's cold…" they heard a girlish voice from the gates. A young girl clad in a Daigaku boy's uniform seemed like she was waiting for someone. She had very short black-blue locks that were pushed back by a wide white headband, and on her neck was a black choker with a peace design on its center.

Sakuno approached the girl, "A-ano… excuse me?"

The girl gave a small excited squeal, though it seemed like she was actually expecting them.

"KYA! You must be those regulars from Seishun Gakuen! I'm Shin! And because Ayashi-chan can't escort you here, I'll be the one who will!" he gave a rather creepy smile that made the regulars shiver a bit, despite the fact that they wore jackets, "Please follow me! Oh, ojou-san, could you walk beside me?"

"Ah… sure…" she said, not noticing the hearts that were formed when she walked together with Shin. They were then followed by the rest of Seigaku.

Ryoma glared at the sight, "Bastard."

"What? You said something, Echizen?" asked Momoshiro.

Ryoma replied, "Nothing."

Ryoma eyed the two people before them and glared at them even more when he saw Shin's arm wrap around Sakuno's shoulder. He didn't know why he'd care, but then again, he thought, Sakuno wasn't exactly the type of person who'd say if she's bothered by something or not, as proved when she was bullied by those Ginka tennis club members. He continued to glower at the sight. What he didn't understand the most was why he was bothered that a _girl_ had _her_ arm around Sakuno's shoulder, shouldn't he be least concerned about it?

"Oi, Shin-san, could I ask you something?" Momoshiro suddenly asked, making the guide stop and look at him, "Why's a girl like you wearing a boy's uniform?"

Ryoma was surprised to see a surprised look on Shin's face when Momoshiro asked that particular question.

"A… girl?" Shin's lips parted a bit, after some seconds, a mischievous smile played on Shin's lips, "Oh… I see, I'm a girl."

Ryoma's brow lifted at the peculiar behavior shown by Shin. And he didn't like it.

Just call it… a boy's intuition.

Shin gave another creepy smile as he asked Sakuno's name; right after knowing her name, Shin gave another excited squeal.

Ryoma arched a brow.

"C'mon, Sakuno." He suddenly said and grabbed Sakuno's hand, dragging her away from Shin, as if somebody else was controlling his mind and body that time. Sakuno's chocolate eyes widened in surprise, and a pink blush stained her pale cheeks.

Momoshiro and Kikumaru looked at each other, grinning like mad.

"Way to go, ochibi!" Kikumaru snapped his fingers.

Tezuka shook his head.

"Excuse me, Shin-san," said Inui, taking Shin's attention, "But, aren't you supposed to escort us?"

Shin snapped back to reality, "Oh! Yes, yes! I'm so sorry! I was just too taken by the little girl's kawaii-ness!"

"…" Seigaku blanched.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

Shin led the regulars and Sakuno to a small stage in front of a school building; there was a drum set, electric guitars and an organ on the stage. The backdrop of the stage had letterings on it, "ART CLASS 1 – MUSICAL ARTS".

"Daigaku has different classes for each type of art," Shin started, "It's sort of an elective class. You see, Daigaku is known for being an old-style school-" Inui nodded, "- in the past fifteen years, the elective art class has been giving the students, er… inspiration to do what they want."

(MINI-CHART with Shin)

"Since the classes are divided by kinds of arts, first years, second years and third years share the same class, though of course, there still exists the difference of difficulty level for each year."

Inui's glasses flashed, "I see… more data for me."

SEIGAKU and SHIN: **SWEATDROP**

"There's the first art class, musical arts, which is also divided into smaller sections: the idiophones, membranophones, aerophones, chordophones, electrophones and voice. In those sections… oh, there's Emi-chan! She could explain those stuff to you better than I could. YOOHOO! EMI-CHAN! YOUR GUESTS ARE HERE!" Shin waved back and forth to the glassed girl on stage who waved back.

Emiko leapt from the stage and walked to them. She was wearing a blue-green cardigan; underneath it was a white racerback top. She also sported a white layered skirt and wore white flats.

"Hi, Seigaku! It's really great that you could come-" Emiko glanced at Tezuka, then coughs, "-uhm, right on time, we're just about to start, I guess... Thank you, Shinichi!"

Seigaku whipped their heads to Shinichi's (Shin) direction, the boy gave a faint laugh.

"YOU'RE A BOY?!" they exclaimed. Shinichi shrugged.

"Didn't say I was a girl, did I?" Shinichi stuck his tongue out. He took off the choker, and headband (think of Athrun Zala, oohh, swoon!) and he said, in a clear, masculine voice, "This choker has a voice-distortion mechanism, which we-" he pointed at Emiko,"-use whenever we go data gathering. Oh well, my job's finished here. Ja ne." he waved at them, but was stopped by Emiko.

"Idiot, you're saying that you won't watch us? We even asked Sachimi-chan to help us in this one and you won't watch?!" she pouted.

Shinichi sighed but shrugged off Emiko's hand, "Oi, I already 'delivered' these guys here, Emi-chan. Besides, I still have a meeting with Hyou- never mind."

Just when he was about to leave, Mariko (who appeared out of nowhere) grabbed his hair, sending him backwards.

"OI! OI! MY HAIR! MARIKO! DAMN YOU! I JUST HAD MY HAIRCUT YESTERDAY!"

Mariko released his hair, but dragged him by the scruff of his collar, "Shinichi no baka baka baka baka!" she started to shout, "WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY STUFF?!"

Momoshiro whispered to Ryoma, "These girls… they're really violent." Ryoma nodded.

Mariko wore a pair of cropped jeans paired with gray sweatshirt; she also wore a pair of black and red chucks. And her hair, as usual, was ponytailed.

"What?! I didn't do anything, Honey!" he shouted. Seigaku raised a brow, '_Honey?_'

"Stop that Honey-bullshit this time! Where's our CD for the-"

"Aw… that's too bad, ne, Hanami-san?" a girl with flowing light brown hair said. She was wearing a pink peasant top paired with smocked babydoll dress and she too wore chucks, only they were colored black.

Mariko's eyes narrowed, "I have no time for you, Kimiko."

"Why don't you just give it up, Hanami. You can't-"

SMACK!

A cup of ginger ale splattered on Kimiko's dress, "AHHH!! My Dallas and Korban dress!!!"

"Nozomi-chan?!" exclaimed Mariko, as the girl held the tray on her front. Atsuyo was wearing a green waitress' uniform with a white apron.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! Sorry!" Atsuyo bowed a lot of times, "I wasn't looking… I'm sorry… I was… thinking of a lot of things… I'm really sorry! (mumbles a little) I'm hopeless on these stuff…"

Kimiko cried and ran off, saying something like "my dress" and "it was worth" and "50,000 yen".

Mariko glanced at her kohai, who seemed to be in the verge of crying, "Oi, Nozomi-chan, it's OK. You don't have to worry about… eh?"

"That ale…" Atsuyo frowned, "I was supposed to deliver it to the third year secretary. It was worth fifty yen."

Emiko and Mariko looked at each other; they shared an evil glint in their eyes, "Oi, Nozomi-chan. You do deliveries, right?" Atsuyo nodded. Shinichi looked warily at the two girls.

Mariko took out a good 1000 yen, while Emiko gave a five hundred, "Unacha (eel tea), for Ayashi. Use all of this."

"But… Natsume-buchou hates that." Atsuyo piped.

The two grinned, "Exactly the point." Mariko added, "Tell her that if she can't finish all of those, she'll have to treat us to Tsubaki Restaurant!"

Atsuyo took the payments reluctantly, and bowed to the three; she then noticed Seigaku and bowed too, though she gave Ryoma a little cold shoulder.

**SWEATDROP**

It was just then that Mariko noticed Seigaku.

"Oh, you're here." She blinked, "Ehehehe… sorry about that thing earlier… oh, you'll have to watch our performance, Sachimi-chan's in my section too, street dance. It'll be right after the music performance…"

"Emi-chan's in the music class, she's the last performance in their class, if I'm right." Said Shinichi, "That little dragon girl, Kitami-chan, she's also in the music class. Nozomi-chan is in the culinary arts class, and Jun-chan is in the film class."

"You should watch the very last piece, the theatre arts. Aya-chan's in the lead role." Piped Emiko, "And… Tezuka-san… don't mind the other note, the one with the… er… ah, you know that already. That other one was a big mistake! Ehehehehe…"

"…" Tezuka remained silent.

"Oh, well, Emi-chan, Mariko-chan, gotta go!" Shinichi waved.

"What!?" the two whirled at him. Shinichi shrugged.

"I still have to practice my final scene with Aya-chan." Shinichi left.

Mariko then remembered, "Oh, yeah. Shinichi-kun is in the theatre arts class… oh well. See you later, Seigaku, Emi-chan."

Emiko stared at the two people who had just left her, then just realized something.

"Shit. Does that mean I have to escort them?"

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A/N: I'm really sorry for the VERY late update for those who reads my fic. I've had author's block AND my sister's flash drive which was the only way I could upload the fics to the net was lost... talk about bad luck... But, oh well... I hope you like them!

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	16. Let's Start!

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN PoT. I also do not own _Karenai Hana _by _Shimokawa Mikuni_… I only used it for this chapter! I don't own all the titles of the songs used in this chapter!!

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**Chapter 16**

**Let's Start!**

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

"Please have a seat!" Emiko led Seigaku to two rows of chairs, right in front of the stage. When they had already taken the chairs, Emiko glanced at Sakuno. "Sakuno-chan (because Jun said that we'll just call you that) did Shinichi-kun bother you?"

"A-anou…" Sakuno stuttered. It wasn't that she was bothered, since she thought that Shinichi was a girl at that time, "Well…"

"Che. Of course she was." Answered Ryoma, taking Sakuno by surprise. She didn't expect that Ryoma would say that. Momoshiro and Kikumaru elbowed each other, grinning, Fuji smiled, and Inui scribbled into his notebook.

Emiko lifted a brow, "Who are you to say that? Are you her boyfriend?"

Sakuno blushed with the meddlesome question by the older girl.

'Holy crap. What a nosy senpai.' Ryoma thought. He tipped down his cap, "No…" the blush faded slightly from Sakuno's cheeks. But somehow, she was happy that he, at least, had thought about what she feels.

An evil smile graced Emiko's pouty lips, "Oohh… what a very thoughtful boyfriend you have, Sakuno-chan!"

"I am not her boyfriend." Ryoma said, but Sakuno blushed anyways. Kikumaru nudged Momoshiro to see Ryoma's reactions, grinning. Fuji, though, wished that Emiko would stop… so that he'll finally have his turn of torturing the poor freshmen.

"He actually thought that you were bothered! I wished I had a boyfriend like him!" Emiko grinned like mad, determined to tease Ryoma (and Sakuno) to death.

**VEIN POPPED**

"I AM NOT HER _BOYFRIEND_." Ryoma shot a glare at his female senpai, who just smiled wickedly.

"Oh?! Are you dismissing the fact that you're Ryuzaki Sakuno's friend who happened to be part of the male species?" Emiko grinned. Ryoma's jaw dropped. Fuji gave a small laugh, amused by the girl's attempt in making Ryoma feel uncomfortable. Shaking his head, Inui fixed his glasses on the bridge of his nose.

"N-no." he replied, feeling embarrassed by what happened. Why did he take that one seriously?!

Sakuno felt confused of what just happened. She looked at Emiko, who appeared like she just won jackpot, then looked at Ryoma, who remained silent after the scene. She didn't know if she was going to sad because by saying that he wasn't her boyfriend or she was going to be happy because, at least, Ryoma said that he was her friend. Formally.

Emiko turned her back, "Oh, forget it! Forget it!"

She skipped her way to the stage, and sat at a chair there for a good minute. She hummed a little, tapping her feet at the stage as if she was hearing some kind of "unheard" music. A little later, Jun came and greeted Seigaku. She wore a chiffon pleated skirt, a yellow tunic, topped with a thick brown coat; on her hands, she was holding a CD.

"Do you want to practice? You still have a good thirty minutes before the program starts." Said Jun, waving the CD.

Emiko rested her chin on her hand, "Don't you have to edit the flick?" Jun shook her head and said that she had already finished it. "If you insist." The glassed girl sighed.

"Aren't you going to take off your glasses?" asked Jun, as she went to the podium, where a small CD player was hidden.

Inui's glasses glinted, "Take off?"

"Oh, no. I'll save it for later." She shrugged.

"By the way, I heard Kitami-chan's been feeling bad ever since she heard that she'll be performing live in front of _them_ today." Said Jun as she placed the CD in the player.

"Oh? Really? That's new." And out of nowhere, Emiko pulled out a tiny blue-green notebook, "But it's ok, I used to get sick whenever I get onstage when I was first year."

Seigaku glanced nervously at each other.

"OK, it's playing…" said Jun as she exited the stage and joined the regulars and Sakuno. A genuine smile wisped on Emiko's lips as the instrumental of the song started to play.

Emiko stood from her seat and walked towards the center of the stage; she took the microphone, and swayed a little, on the same pacing as the song. Seigaku watched her as she parted her lips to sing the piece.

PLAYING: KARENAI HANA…

"_KOKORO ni chiisana hana ga saite---ru_

_kimi kara moratta karenai hana ga_

_shinjiru koto o mou kowagaranai kurai_

_tsuyoku nareta kara_

……

_kimi ni aete ureshikatta_

_tsunaida te ga hokori datta_

_ima wa betsu betsu no sora miagete ite mo_

_hora a---ruke--ru hitori demo…"_

_Speechless._ That would be the best description of those who had heard Emiko sing. The way she pronounced each word, and the way her lips moved had captured the attention of those who were there.

"Just as expected from Daigaku's Phoebe," said Jun, "Just like a songbird."

"Phoebe?" Kikumaru thought out loud.

"A songbird from America." Answered Jun, "They gave that name to her when she first got over her stage-sickness."

Emiko jumped from the stage, "Oi, what do you think? Should I change the song or not?"

"It was really great, Hide-senpai." Sakuno beamed, "I haven't heard a person sing so beautifully before!"

A slight tinge of pink stained Emiko's cheeks, but she quickly brushed it, as Inui noticed. Emiko gave a fit of giggle, "Really? Kyaa! You're so nice, Sakuno-chan! But Ryoma-kun will go jealous of other people if you're always like that!"

Sakuno turned red at the added comment, and even though unwillingly, Ryoma suddenly looked at a different direction when he met Sakuno's eyes. It was odd; he just thought he blushed… it was weird.

Jun giggled, "That's enough, Emiko-chan. You're making the kids feel uncomfortable."

"Humph! Like you're the one to talk, Jun-kun." Emiko quirked a brow. Jun giggled once more.

All of a sudden, they heard some screaming from a nearby room. And with a crash, a girl in short pigtails came crashing out of the window and landed with both feet on the ground… specifically, on roller blades.

"BASTARD! COME BACK HERE!" another shout came from the room.

"DON'T WORRY! I'LL RETURN THIS ASAP!" she shouted back, waving her hands at the boy who dropped his head low helplessly.

The girl skated her way to the stage. It was no other than Kitami Tatsue. She bowed at the regulars from Seigaku, and then a hiccup escaped her again. "Holy-hic-crap." She exclaimed, "Not again… hic!"

Sakuno asked, "You're hiccupping again?"

Tatsue waved at her twin braided friend and shrugged, "I don't know-hic. It just-hic-comes. Oh… here's-hic-what you asked." She handed Emiko an adaptor.

"Kya! Kakoii, Kitami-chan! You did it!" Emiko exclaimed. (think of those hearts that come out when an anime character is happy)

"Hic." Tatsue hiccupped again, this time she covered her mouth with her right hand.

Sakuno looked at her friend a little more, "Tatsue-chan… there's something different about you today…"

Tatsue looked at Sakuno, with her brow twitching a little.

"AH!" Sakuno exclaimed, "Tatsue-chan! You're wearing glasses!"

Tatsue sweatdropped, "Yare, yare. I just remembered. You haven't seen me during school hours…" Sakuno looked at her friend, clueless. Tatsue removed her plastic framed glasses, "Reading glasses. Grade… 75. I only use them during classes, though.,, you really came. I thought buchou was just kidding… wait… that means…"

Emiko and Jun nodded. At first, Tatsue looked really dumbfounded, then after a split second…

"YOU MUST BE KIDDING!" she screeched at her senpai's, "NO! NO! NO! NO!!!!!!!" she looked like she was going to rip off her hair.

**SWEATDROP**

"Eh?! What are you talking about, Tatsue-chan?" asked Sakuno.

Tatsue whipped her head to her senpai's, with a fierce look on her face, "There's no DARNED way I am going there-" she pointed at the stage, "-in front of THEM! NO WAY!" she continued cursing savagely at an invisible person under her breath.

Ryoma winced at the excessive usage of profane words. Sakuno smiled awkwardly because of her friend's… er… actions.

"Oi, oi, Kitami-chan! Don't talk to your senpai like that!" Emiko pouted.

"What are you going to present, Kitami-chan?" asked Fuji, smiling. Tatsue frowned a bit, a little calmer than she was earlier.

"I'm supposed to play electric guitars for Hide-senpai when she sings and…" She frowned, as if not wanting to talk anymore.

"And?" asked Oishi, feeling a little interested in the conversation.

"And…" Tatsue trailed off. She was determined not to say anything… well at least, her.

"She'll play the flute in 'Eyes on Me'." Said Jun, "And oh… she'll…"

"S-SENPAI!!!" a completely flustered Tatsue shouted, with tears bubbling from the corners of her eyes.

Jun smiled placidly as Emiko stared unbelievingly at the usually tough girl, "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Don't be too embarrassed, Kitami-chan!"

"I'M NOT EMBARRASSED!" Tatsue frowned even more, directly proportional with the bright red blush that was staining her dainty cheeks. She whirled around, and stomped off.

"Kitami-chan, where are you going?" Jun blinked, "It's just twenty-five minutes until the start of the program."

"SOMEWHERE!" she treaded heavily, as if wanting to crack the earth open.

Emiko grinned, she and Jun gave each other high-fives; Sakuno couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her friend. Jun then waved at them, "Well, I have to go and fetch the little dragon and drag her back here. I still have to put a little make-up on her too… whether she likes it or she likes it." She smiled broadly and left.

_Whether she likes it or she likes it? What a choice…_ Seigaku thought, feeling sorry for the little kohai.

"Oh, yes… I forgot the make-up thingy…" pouted Emiko. She took her notebook once again (from nowhere), "Ah… okay… so it's like this… uhm… Ano, minna-san, please wait here. People will start flocking the place, so don't leave your seats. If you see any… uhm… fangirls, fanboys, or any of the like, please don't mind them. And here I take my leave. Ja!" she chirped, before happily prancing off to… somewhere.

Seigaku watched as the last of the Daigaku girls flounced away, leaving them and a blushing Sakuno, who at that time had just committed to memory that Ryoma was just some breaths away, alone.

After some good ten minutes, Momoshiro yawned, as if there was nothing else to do; Kikumaru too, was stretching his arms a bit. Oishi, who was beside Kawamura had started to talk to the latter, because Tezuka seemed a little… pissed off to be talked to. Fuji smiled happily for no apparent reason, though he thought that he must be lucky that day because his sister said so. Kaidoh hissed a little, but then was already on the verge of sleeping. The cool weather at that time didn't help in keeping the regulars awake though.

Ryoma, who was holding another can of Ponta at that time, grape flavor, glanced sideways at the young pigtailed girl beside him. He watched her as she rubbed her eyes and set her hands neatly on her lap, his eyes took a peek on her coffee-colored ones and found his self lost in thought about her.

Why he suddenly felt _that_ way, he had no idea… then again, it might be because of that… cocky guy who seemed to get attention from the girl at his side, the kind of attention that only he, Echizen Ryoma, _solely_ enjoyed for the past few months.

WAIT. WHAT WAS HE THINKING?

_NO_.

He wasn't _jealous_. Of course not!

Why would he be jealous of such… sweetness when he saw her blush ever so red when that boy touched her forehead? Why would he be jealous of a person who made her happy, unlike him who had just very much ignored her, or at least, treated her like he treated everybody else?

Why would he be green-eyed of such… spark between the two newly met people? Why would he be envious of the smile that she gave him when he made her feel better after… well… uhm, you what that was.

Of course he couldn't possibly think of such… things! His life was all about tennis!

_Tennis doesn't equate with girls. Girls are different from tennis. _

Bleargh.

What was he thinking? Why was he thinking of such things?!

**WHAT THE HECK WAS HAPPENING TO HIM!?!?!**

Ryoma cringed involuntarily as he unwillingly recalled what his older brother, Ryoga, told him… (1)

"_Mada mada daze, Chibisuke. You'll see why puberty can be a tennis player's worst nightmare." Said Ryoga, right after the younger Echizen asked why his older brother was cursing 'Hormones'._

Ryoma wanted to kick his brother for not telling him about that when he needed it.

Groaning, Ryoma crouched down a bit and put away the empty tin can under his chair. When he straightened up, and leaned on his chair, he suddenly felt _something_ rest on his shoulder. He glimpsed sidewise and saw the small head of his female "acquaintance" lean on his shoulder.

His eyes widened a bit of the sheer proximity they shared at that time. This time, there's no mistake.

Echizen Ryoma had just had a full-blown blush written all over his face. (Add the flowery background and the sparkly thingy…)

Unfortunately, Ryoma didn't have the ample time of savoring the moment. Just as he was about to adjust Sakuno's head into a much better position on his shoulder, an annoying (in more ways than one) and ear-piercing feedback hollered from the numerous black speaker pods around the stage.

Sakuno jumped, "Eh?! Fire? Where's the fire?"

"There's no fire." Ryoma tipped down his cap.

Sakuno blushed a bit, "Oh, sorry… I just thought…"

"Don't mind it." Ryoma said, averted his eyes away from Sakuno. Sakuno smiled a bit, though she only did so when she ducked her head a little to hide the blush that was slowly spreading on her cheeks. It seemed like she should add "blushing" as her hobby, Sakuno thought to herself.

Seigaku jumped back to life. But just as they did, a number of students had flocked the chairs, and just as Emiko said, there were fangirls, fanboys, and all sorts of fans that seemed to be much more excited than the visitors from Seishun Gakuen.

The unmistakable faked-girl voice of Shinichi boomed, "Good morning, Daidouji Gakuen! Good morning, visitors from Seishun Gakuen! Today, in the 15th anniversary of the Arts Department, we will display our prowess… I mean, our skills and talents in each of our chosen course…"

There was a buzz, but the announcement resumed nonetheless.

"For this morning the much awaited Musical Arts recital will be the first in the main events, followed by the Dance Troupes for the Street Dancing competition. For the afternoon presentation, the Individual films will be showing their knack in filming and afterwards, the much awaited piece, "Black Alice" of the Theatre Arts Class will be the last dance of today's strings of performances. Of course, the Culinary Arts class will be open for the rest of the day, yum yum!

This is Nomura Shinichi, saying "_The comic is the perception of the opposite; humor is the feeling of it_". Signing off."

The feedback from the speakers had finally come to a halt. Unfortunately, the number of people didn't even diminish a bit, but was actually the opposite. It didn't take too much of five minutes for all the vacant chairs to be occupied by various people.

"So many people… is this really a _just_ a school event?" Inui wondered aloud.

"HIDE-SAMA! HIDE-SAMA!" a crowd of cheering fanboys added to the "noise" brought by the chatting crowd. They had with them banners (some of which had "HIDE-SAMA'S FANCLUB", "HIDE-SAMA! KAKOII!" and "MARRY ME, HIDE-SAMA!").

"Che," Ryoma grunted as he read the banners. He "slipped out", "What's so special with Hide-senpai? She can sing well… so what?"

"Oi, Echizen, shut up." Momoshiro warned, "Getting beat up (by screaming fangirls and boys alike) isn't what we came for here."

"What then?"

"Uhm… I don't know exactly either."

'_I knew it. We came here for no actual purpose…'_ thought Ryoma. He took a glimpse of their buchou and smirked, '_You actually made a mistake, ne, Tezuka-buchou?'_

Everybody went silent when someone got up on stage, but the screaming continued when Shinichi greeted them. He too was greeted back by most of the audience by declarations of love, proposals, and seemingly endless worshipping. Unlike in their past… er… encounter, the Shinichi that was on stage seemed to be a lot more… manly, probably because of the lack of headband that he used earlier.

"Konnichiwa, minna-san!" He gave a small wink at the girls on the front, who replied with ear splitting shrieks.

"KYA! NOMURA-SENPAI WINKED AT **ME**!" a tough looking girl said from the crowd. She was then given cold stares from her club mates who had admitted the "wink" that it was for them. Then they proceeded to have this little catfight that was stopped by Shinichi who told them that he winked at ALL of them. Heart-eyed girls screamed once more.

"Che. Annoying." Ryoma grunted. Sakuno was promptly reminded of Tomoka, though.

Shinichi then ensued on being the master of ceremony at that time. Oishi seemed to pay attention at the boy on stage as Shinichi seemed to easily do his part like breathing air. With a wave of Shinichi's hand, the Musical Arts recital had begun.

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A/N: Whoa… just finished the sixteenth one… ideas from readers are very much invited! AND NO, I have no idea of how kendo is practiced.

"_The comic is the perception of the opposite; humor is the feeling of it – Umberto Eco"_

(1) This one is so totally made up by me, but any similarities of any is so like coincidence.

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	17. Long Day

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis nor its characters. Any title of songs used in this fic aren't mine either, such as "Eyes on Me", "Fukai Mori", and "Yasashii Yoake"...

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**Chapter 17**

**Long Day**

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The Musical Arts recital was a success. Everyone, except Seigaku, had left the audience area for the Musical Arts Class.

"Who would've guessed that little sarcastic Kitami actually had talents in playing the flute and singing?" said Momoshiro as he quickly recalled the girl's performance.

During her part, Tatsue wore a sleeved white dress with black pants and her usual droopy pigtails were held up on the back, making her a little less childish than usual. She played "Eyes on Me" and "Yasashii Yoake" by concert flute, which isn't exactly an easy play; and just right before Emiko's notable performance, she was sort of "forced to sing" "Fukai Mori". Her voice was trembling when she sang it.

"But Tatsue-chan… she looked really pale." Muttered Sakuno, "She was… white as a marble at that time."

Ryoma frowned. Sakuno didn't meet Tatsue earlier than he did, and yet, here she was worrying too much about it.

"That Hide-chan," said Kikumaru, "She didn't look like the Hide-chan I know."

"Yeah." Kawamura nodded in agreement, "That Hide-san we saw sing…"

"Was totally gorgeous!" Momoshiro exclaimed, "Was that Hide-senpai some sort of fraternal twin of that girl earlier?"

Inui's glasses glinted, "No. It was really Hide Emiko. You should've noticed that she just didn't wear her glasses and unbraided her hair. Pretty much the same to me."

"Liar." The rest of the members accused the data man. Yes, Tezuka included.

"Oi! Seigaku!" a now-glassed and now-braided Emiko waved, "Over here!"

Beside her was Jun, who was holding a digital camera. They were followed shortly by their two of their kohai, Tatsue who seemed to be of normal color at that time and held a box of 'something-which-they-hope-didn't-have-the-slightest-connection-with-Inui's-and-Emiko's-veggie-and-medicinal-juices, respectively', and Atsuyo, who was holding a basket of newly baked cinnamon roll.

Seigaku approached the girls, and asked why they were there. (Atsuyo and Tatsue gave the food and drinks to the players, though Atsuyo still seemed to be a little pissed off with Ryoma)

"The Street Dance Competition will start in a matter of minutes." Emiko cheerfully. A flash caught Seigaku off guard, except Tezuka.

"S-Sanyu-senpai!" exclaimed Sakuno.

"Daijoubu." Said Jun, reassuringly, "It's for our joint presentation."

"The SDC… I mean, street dance will be held on the soccer field." Said Emiko, and punching her hand into the air, "I can't wait to see Mariko and Sachimi-chan kick that bitch Kimiko's butt."

"Emi-chan!" Jun warned.

"Fine, fine… but really, I still can't believe Mariko had just let that pass!" Emiko frowned. She shook her head and then asked Seigaku to follow them to the soccer field.

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Seigaku and the four Daigaku girls sat on the dry grass which was just some feet away from the plain field. There were a DJ booth on their right side, but there were very few people on the grassland.

"Earlier…" said Momoshiro, "was it really you, Hide-senpai?"

Emiko blinked, "Uh… what are you talking about?"

"I mean, were you really the last performer?" he said, "I mean… I don't get it."

Emiko smiled sheepishly, and then chortled, "Of course it was me, baka Momo!"

"It was really you?!" Seigaku chorused.

The four Daigaku girls laughed. Jun told Seigaku that Emiko had wanted to look like some sort of nerd ever since they were kids, that's why she sported the "glassed-braided geek sans the braces" look, which she found herself comfortable in. She commented that Emiko proved to be much of a geek anyway.

"A stalking, beauty conscious… Although it's whenever she's not on her data mode, data freak kind of geek, actually." A boyish voice said from behind them. It was Mariko, and along with her was Mai. They wore their school uniforms, in contrast with other students who dressed whatever they liked.

"Hi!" Mai chirped happily. Kikumaru noticed that there was a small scrape on her hand; maybe he was going to ask about it… if he remembered, though.

"Hanami-chan! Sachimi-chan! Where have you been?" exclaimed Kikumaru. He waved at the girls, Hanami held her hand a little, while Mai gave him a smile. He smiled back at the younger girl.

"Practicing." Answered Mariko, she turned to the two third years from Daigaku, "That bitch really kicked the bucket this time, if you asked me."

Oishi raised a brow. _These girls didn't seem to mind cursing that much, don't they?_

"Oh? What did Kimiko do this time?" asked Jun, as she gave space for Mariko and Mai to sit with them on the grass.

"They would use last year's winning piece." Said Mai, who didn't seem pleased about it.

Atsuyo said, "Then it would be off for them, right?"

Emiko shook her head, "Definitely not. You see, last year, that song was for the nasty-perverts who came to cheer. This time, that bitch will not only use it for those nasty-perverts, but also to make them look good."

"They have assets, damn it." Mariko cursed, pulling her head back, "All of them are fucking third years, for Kami's sake!"

Jun chuckled, "Not to mention surgically… Ehehehe… enhanced."

Ryoma looked at them, obviously oblivious of what the girls meant, "What are you talking about?"

Tezuka and Oishi stared unbelievingly at the Pillar-of-Seigaku-to-be; Fuji and Inui chuckled evilly. Kawamura and Kaidoh were flustered by the question, Kikumaru and Momoshiro joined forces in rolling on the grass, laughing at the boy's comment.

"For the win, ochibi-chan!" exclaimed Kikumaru as Momoshiro howled with laughter.

"What the?" Ryoma raised a brow, still not getting any of it. Well, not until Tatsue was about to give him a rather… straight answer.

"Baka." She said, "It's-"

Unfortunately, she was cut off by Emiko and Mariko who covered her mouth; they smiled awkwardly at the boys. They faced the first year and gave her a whack.

Sakuno blushed, as she thought she knew that her friend's answer would be rather… straight forward or her senpai-tachi won't do that. Ryoma, on the other hand, just tipped his cap down to hide the forming blush on his face, more because of embarrassment of asking such a stupid question. He just thought he knew the answer when he saw a group of buxom girls strutting their way to where they, Seigaku, were sitting.

Emiko sniffed and scowled, "I can smell their stink. Kimiko must be near." Jun nodded in agreement.

As Ryoma thought, the girls really did approach them.

"Whoa, I thought you don't like boys, ne, Hanami-san?"

Mariko swiveled her head to the source of her name. Sure enough, it was the girl named Kimiko, who was surrounded with fellow third years; all of them sported rather… er… outfits that could beat Tomoka's sense of skimpiness.

"Uhm, not exactly." Mariko rolled her eyes and whirled her head back to where she was looking previously, "But close enough."

Kimiko narrowed her eyes, her companions glowered at them. Finding nothing that would be of their advantage, they wheeled their back; just as they were about to leave Tatsue spoke.

"Ne, senpai…"

Kimiko looked back.

"What's with the skimpy outfit?" asked Tatsue, "Going to a bar or something, senpai?"

Kimiko raised a brow, "I don't like the way your tongue slips, Kitami." She turned to the kendo fukubuchou, "Seems like your kohai had just inherited your immense bitchiness, Hanami."

"She-" Emiko pointed at Tatsue,"-ain't bitch, Kimiko." Emiko said blithely. She smiled mockingly at Kimiko, "You are."

Kimiko narrowed her eyes more, if it was possible, "Why you!"

"Maa, maa. Let's play it nice." Jun suddenly spoke, smiling, "None of you would want to be disqualified, ne?"

The Daigaku girls blanched. Jun did seem to be… serious.

Kimiko had a whoosh of air escape her, "You'll see, Hanami. We'll kick your ass in the fight!"

"Want to bet on it?" said Mariko in a foreign language, "Whoever loses… must treat the winner to the most expensive eat-all-you-can restaurant, regardless of how many they are?"

Kimiko scowled at the rival and stomped off. The three third years laughed their hearts out while Seigaku had their jaws hanging, just inches before it reached the ground.

Mai and Atsuyo looked at each other, 'She could speak English?!'

"Surprise, surprise." Said Tatsue, "Hanami-fukubuchou and English, heh?"

Mariko checked her watched, "Oh, it'll start shortly… you guys stay here, Sachimi-chan and I have to take off for now." After standing up, she helped Sachimi to be up on her feet. Both bowed (though Mariko just seemed to tip her head a little low) and left.

Sakuno turned to Tatsue, 'Your senpai-tachi… are they really like that?"

"Pretty much. But it doesn't matter to me, nor any of my fellow kendoka… you'll know when you meet our bunch." Tatsue shrugged.

"Ok…" Sakuno trailed off. The music had started, and Seigaku was excited with the upcoming dances.

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"Congratulations, Mariko-chan! Sachimi-chan!" Emiko and Jun clapped their hands enthusiastically. "You totally kicked their ass!" Emiko added.

Mariko shook her head, "It was everybody's work that sent those bitches to hell."

"You're being too humble… here have some mince pie." Emiko grinned as she forced a forked mince into her friend's mouth. Mariko sighed, but ate nonetheless.

Inui's glasses glinted, "You used kendo footwork earlier, didn't you, Hanami-san?"

Mariko was taken aback, so she wasn't able to answer; it was Emiko who replied, "Of course. Kendo has its moments; you know… it's also a good way of personal vocalization!"

"Vocalization?" asked Kikumaru.

"Yeah, it is. You see, we have this _kiai_… a sort of cheer, but more of a personalized "explosive" yell for yourself that you use during a match. Hide-senpai's kiai sound more of a… note on a song, actually." Answered Mai, "Natsume-bochou's… I haven't actually heard it because she only participates every once in a while…"

"Why?" asked Momoshiro, helping his self with a plate of Italian pasta.

"Because she doesn't really need to… Hide-senpai, Sanyu-senpai and Hanami-fukubuchou usually kick the heck out of their opponents and wins almost every single time." answered Tatsue who was now eating a single serving of chicken curry rice.

"…"

Seigaku and the Daigaku kendo club girls stayed their noon on a small food stall that was run by Atsuyo and her group mates. It was an open booth, unlike the rest of the food centers which were enclosed in air-conditioned rooms. The costumers sat on long benches with equally long tables to complete the picnic motif of their stall, which was a little different from the kind of food they served.

The student-waitresses giggled and blushed as they watched the Seigaku tennis club regulars, some even asked for autographs. However, they were stopped by Mariko who coolly told them to stop acting like that.

"You're too cruel, senpai." Frowned Atsuyo, who was their waitress for the meal.

Mariko scowled, "Yes, I am." Emiko and Jun looked at each other and giggled uncontrollably.

"No, you're not." Oishi suddenly said, earning a raise of brow from the girl.

"Hmph, look, Oishi-san, just because I'm not being cruel to you doesn't mean that I'm not. It's just a matter of preference of who to be cruel to."

Oishi smiled, "The cruelty of most people is lack of imagination, their brutality is ignorance. Kurt Tucholsky says so."

Mariko smirked, "Not bad, Oishi-san."

"Do you really think you're ignorant, Honey?" asked Shinichi, who popped out of nowhere, catching Mariko off guard and made her jump. He was now sort of listening to a recorded something on his iPod.

"SHIN-ICHI!" Mariko shouted as she punched the boy on the gut, "DON'T DO THAT AGAIN!"

"I-itai…" Shinichi crouched.

"Kya! Mariko-chan! You're mean! Why did you hit Shin-kun!" exclaimed Emiko, rushing to Shinichi's side.

Mariko glared at the boy, "It's because he's acting like that old man again!"

"Oh, yeah… you hate surprises." Emiko crossed her arms. (now on her seat) She looked at her watch, "My gosh… it's almost time! Hey, you finished eating?" she looked up at the monsters before her, "Er… it's almost Jun's film showing…"

"…" Seigaku was busy devouring the food that was served to them.

Emiko sighed and shook her head.

"What a bunch of hungry wolves."

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After the sumptuous meal in the culinary arts' class stall, Seigaku and Diagaku kendo girls went to the Daigaku Film Institute which was just some good 500 meters away.

The building wasn't that large, and the movie center wasn't exactly new either. What caught their attention though were the tarpaulins and the posters that seemed to be everywhere.

Inside the mini-cinema, they caught a glimpse of Jun, but wasn't able to talk to her because the movie had started.

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_Sniff._

_Sniff._

_Sniff._

Armed with a white handkerchief, Sakuno wiped the tears that smeared her cheeks after watching the last short movie. It was about a girl, who met her prince once, and they promised to meet each other someday but in the end, the prince left her and never came back. Something like that.

Seigaku and the Daigaku girls (with Jun) exited the film center and started to walk their way to the Theatre Arts division. Kikumaru praised the dramatic finale that Jun shot, while Sakuno said that the shots were amazing.

"Well, Aya-chan was the one who wrote the script." Said Jun, smiling.

"But it would've been useless without the pictures." Fuji told her, making Jun stare at him, surprised.

"I dunno… maybe." She smiled a little and shrugged.

"Fu fu fu…" Emiko grinned wickedly as she watched the two people walk side by side, "Fuji-san is right, Jun-kun! You should be happy that he noticed something so complicated as that!"

"What are you talking about?" Jun whirled at Emiko a little.

Emiko fixed her glasses, "Hi-mi-" and stuck her tongue out, "-tsu!" She skipped some steps forward, making sure that Jun and Fuji was behind her.

Momoshiro and Kaidoh walked together, not talking to each other; Kawamura and Atsuyo chatted about some recipes on sushi as they paced with the others. Mariko and Oishi talked about how Shinichi was able to speak well in front of crowds, the former gave him a short list that Shinichi was about to give the latter but had no time to (despite the fact that Shinichi seemed to have a lot of it earlier). Kikumaru followed Mai, looking a little worried, while Tezuka just remained silent as he walked. Tatsue stood in between Sakuno and Ryoma.

"I'll go first." Tatsue suddenly said. Sakuno frowned a little, "I almost forgot that thing that Hide-senpai borrowed earlier."

"Uh… Ok…" Sakuno replied, the handkerchief still on her hand. She watched her friend flounce away to her glassed senpai. Ryoma arched a brow as she lifted her right hand.

"Ne," said Ryoma, tipping down his cap, "Who gave that handkerchief?"

Sakuno looked at him surprised; she didn't expect him to ask such trivial question. Then again, the hanky wasn't an ordinary one. It was given by Minami Kenichi…

"A-anou… it's n-not important…" she waved her hands before her.

Ryoma sighed, and looked away.

"Hm. It's from that boy from the playground, isn't it?" he thought out loud. Well, he wasn't supposed to say that, but well, let's just say that puberty's got the better of him this time. (wicked smile from the author)

"R-Ryoma-kun… you saw… you saw… ?!" Sakuno stuttered. This she didn't expect.

Ryoma wanted to kick his self for saying that carelessly.

Sighing, which became sort of his habit nowadays, Ryoma said, "Never mind it…" he grabbed her vacant hand and dragged her with him.

Sakuno stared at him with puzzled a look, "R-Ryoma-kun?"

"C'mon, let's go, before those people think…" he trailed off. _Shit._

It was too late.

_They_ saw Ryoma and Sakuno holding hands.

"KYAAA!!!" Emiko tittered, (with all of the heart effects) "KAWAII!!!"

Mai piped, "OI! OI! Echizen-kun! You're holding her hand?!"

Mariko grinned like mad, "Oooohhh… Ryoma-kun, you're being too fast, aren't you?"

Jun nodded in agreement and added, "And here we were wondering what took you so long!"

Atsuyo and Tatsue looked at each other and sighed. They said in unison, "Senpai-tachi, yamete kudasai."

OH WAIT. Not only them… these people actually…

_Oh shit._

Momoshiro and Kikumaru sniggered while Fuji smiled evilly.

"Kawaii! Ochibi-chan!" Kikumaru jumped into the air. Momoshiro rushed to the two first years and forcibly pulled down Ryoma's hat.

"S-senpai! Stop it!" Sakuno stammered as Ryoma was strangled by Momoshiro's arms.

Inui scribbled some data into his notebook, "Hhmmm… so Echizen's finally come in terms with her feelings? Data… data…"

"You're still going to put that there?" asked Oishi.

"Not exactly, but if he's going to date Sakuno-chan, then he'll have to train a lot… and more Inui juice for him, maybe…" answered Inui.

Oishi and Kawamura paled, it was a good thing they haven't thought about having potential date-materials, let alone girlfriends…

Kaidoh hissed as usual. Tezuka sighed, watching his teammates in such riot… not exactly the best feeling for a captain.

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The cajoling and teasing continued even though they already entered the hall. They were, however, greeted with utmost hullabaloo when they got to their seats; it was still early and yet people had already flocked the seats, some of them wore shirts that had "NATSUME-SAMA DAISUKI" and "NATSUME-SAMA AISHITERU", some also had "NOMURA-SAMA" printed on them.

"It seemed like Aya-chan reserved some seats for us." Mariko said, as she approached Seigaku and the kendo club girls. She went backstage to talk to Ayashi and Shinichi.

They immediately went to a special row of seats.

(There's two rows reserved for them at the center position… On the first row, on the leftmost is Mariko, then Emiko, Jun, Atsuyo, Mai, Tatsue, Sakuno and the rightmost is Ryoma. On the next row, the left most is Tezuka, then Oishi, Inui, Kaidoh, Kawamura, Fuji, Kikumaru and Momoshiro.)

"Kakoii!" Emiko giggled, she turned to Jun, "Ayashi-chan's in the lead role again, right?"

Jun nodded, "But I heard that she's not supposed to play it… I guess she preferred scriptwriting."

"What are they talking about, Tatsue-chan?" asked Sakuno, who was at the far-right position.

Tatsue turned her head to Sakuno, "You see, Natsume-buchou isn't really an actress, though of course she knows how to act, she loves writing a lot more than she likes acting."

Kikumaru leaned forward, "Then why's she getting the lead role, nya?"

"It's because the actress for the part got sick last week and wasn't able to practice… so Natsume-buchou filled in for her." Answered Mai.

"Kendo club members seem to have lots of talents." Said Fuji.

"Of course!" shouted Emiko from the left side, "Just because we're practicing kendo doesn't mean that we can't be good in other stuff, ne!"

"Of course." Inui replied, "That is true… but don't you have anything that you can't do? Especially your buchou… she seems to be in perfect control of everything…"

Tezuka glanced sideways.

Mariko, Emiko and Jun laughed, "You'll know what things she can't do!"

"Things?" Oishi wondered aloud.

"Of course!" Mariko grinned, "She'd be extremely dull to be with if we can't tease her!"

Oishi stared unbelievingly, "But she's your buchou!"

"I am perfectly aware of that, thank you very much." Mariko raised a brow, "However, we do know when to separate our _club business_ with _personal life_, _Oishi-san_."

The two stared at each other, eyes narrowed.

"Hora, hora! Stop that! The play's starting!" Emiko gasped.

On the other side of the rows…

Momoshiro, Kikumaru and Fuji had been terrorizing the two freshmen ever since the start of the conversation on the left hand side. They've been teasing, pestered, bantering Sakuno and Ryoma. Poor Sakuno had been blushing all the time.

"Kya, did you kiss her, Ochibi-chan?" Kikumaru asked playfully.

"No." Ryoma replied.

"Did you hug her?" it was Momoshiro's turn, "Did you do something else?"

Ryoma was getting pissed off with his senpai-tachi, "_No._"

_Though of course, it wouldn't be bad if I'd do that if I and Sakuno would be close… wait?! What the heck am I thinking! _

Fuji's devilish smile graced his lips, "Do you have any plans to do so, Echizen?"

Ryoma felt his heart skip a beat… did he say those stuff out loud? No, of course not… it must be because of Fuji-senpai's dirty tactics of making him helpless…

He cleared his throat, "Of course… not."

Sakuno frowned a bit, while Tatsue was torn in between feeling sorry for Sakuno for having such seniors, or feeling relieved that she wasn't Sakuno.

The lights dimmed and everyone shut up.

"Oh, it's starting." Said Tatsue.

On the stage, a stature of a small girl appeared. It was Ayashi.

"I waited… and waited… but you didn't come." her expression was pained and suffering.

They heard Mariko say, "As expected… she knows exactly what to do…"

Tezuka looked a little surprised as he heard Ayashi say her lines.

"Under the pale crimson sky, I waited for you… and yet, you didn't come… was the wait too long for you to leave me?" Ayashi walked to the center of the stage. She was wearing something like Alice's dress from Alice in Wonderland, albeit it was all white, in direct contrast with her dark hair.

"I waited for you, and yet you didn't come… could it be you don't love me anymore or you've found someone you loved more?"

Tears had already welled up on her equally dark eyes. Tezuka's brows furrowed as she continued to say her lines. It was as if he knew what she was talking about and at the same time, completely clueless about it.

And the play progressed, it was no sooner that sniffs and sobs and cries from the audience was heard.

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"Black Alice" was finally finished and it was time to go home. It's already four in the afternoon, and Ayashi too had joined the group.

"Well done, Ayashi-chan." Cheered Mariko, who threw a can of apple-flavored Ponta to the kendo buchou.

Ayashi opened the can and a fizz was heard, "I missed three or four lines. It was good that Shinichi was my partner or our class president will kill me."

"For a scriptwriter, you kicked ass." Emiko said, and went beside Ayashi and put her hand on Ayashi's head as if measuring her, "But I'm still taller than you." (Ayashi is just a head shorter than Emiko, she's the smallest among the four seniors)

"Shut up." Ayashi stuck her tongue out at Emiko; hesitantly, she turned to the Seigaku buchou, she bowed, "Gomenasai, Tezuka-san!"

Tezuka looked at her indifferently and spoke, "For what?"

"Eh?" she frowned, "For the extra note… erm… it's not supposed to be given to you… I'm really sorry." (Ayashi's mental note: Because it's supposed to be in my "insult" notes…)

Tezuka sighed.

"Betsuni." He replied coolly. The girl grinned sheepishly; Tezuka then remembered something, "Natsume-san," Ayashi looked up at him (Tezuka is like… 179 cm and Ayashi's only 161 cm…), "were you the one who wrote that play?"

Ayashi nodded, "Why?"

"Nothing." The stoic boy replied, "Natsume-san, we will now take our leave."

"Oh… do your club mates mind if our kohai join you?" she asked, "I know it's too much, but I sort of-" Ayashi was scratching her cheek with her forefinger, "-don't want them to go home alone tonight."

Oishi asked her, "Why?"

"Well, the seniors will have to talk about the upcoming program for the next two weeks… you know, the **Daidouji Gakuen Winter Festival**." Said Mariko, "So, there's no one who could escort them home. Their homes are far away from here, we can't possibly just let them go alone."

Tatsue raised a brow but didn't say anything, while Atsuyo glanced at her best friend.

"Very well." Tezuka said indifferently, "We'll escort them."

"Hey, thanks!" Emiko exclaimed.

Mai protested, "Senpai! We can go home by ourselves!" She seemed to be the only one who complained about it.

"No. You there will be accompanied back to your homes." Said Ayashi, in a manner that left no space for objections or arguments. Mai was taken aback by her senpai's reaction, but sighed in defeat.

The four third years bowed and left, though Mariko warned the girls that if they won't follow what their buchou told them, she definitely had ways to know.

Tatsue commented as the fukubuchou left, "Scary."

Mai and Atsuyo looked at each other and gulped. Mai hung her head in defeat, "Looks like we have no choice."

"Aa." Atsuyo nodded.

It was going to be a very long afternoon.

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A/N: By far, this must be the most boring chapter I've made… almost 1 week of thinking of how the heck am I supposed to finish this… AT LAST, I can now move on the next chapters!

P.S. Does Echizen Ryoga exist in the manga (or is he just, well, another filler character for the movie)? Just asking… haven't read all volumes of PoT…


	18. Secret

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DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN Prince of Tennis NOT EVEN ITS AWESOME CHARACTERS!!! though of course, a fangirl could always claim…

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**Chapter 18**

**Secret**

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The sky had already turned deep orange and Sachimi Mai still refused to go to back to the Nozomi household. She sat on a concrete bench at Tsuyu Tei Park, and shuffled her feet; the soft winter breeze played with her thick pigtailed brown locks.

A cup was shoved before her, startling the girl.

"It's hot chocolate." Said Kikumaru, "Take it, it's my treat."

Kikumaru volunteered to accompany Mai and Atsuyo to the Nozomi residence, Kawamura went with them; but Mai told them that she'd like to go to the park instead, so Kawamura and Atsuyo went ahead (though Atsuyo told Mai that she'd be waiting for her so that they could eat dinner together.) while Kikumaru and Mai went to the park.

Mai reluctantly took the mug, and stared at the thick warm delicious liquid that gave off an aroma which almost shouted, "Drink me! Drink me!"

"Thank you, Eiji-senpai." The girl smiled at him. She took a sip, and squinted her eyes, "Yummy!"

Kikumaru took the seat beside Mai and took a mouthful from his own mug. He gazed at Mai. Once again, she looked sad… actually, she looked a lot sadder than the last time he saw her.

"Oh, yeah, I almost forgot…" Kikumaru rummaged his pocket (setting down the cup first, of course) and found the pink wallet that he found days ago. He showed it to Mai, "I think this is yours, Sachimi-chan."

Mai's eyes widened as Kikumaru showed her the found item; she said in an almost hushed voice, "My pouch…" she looked up at the boy, "You found it…"

"You dropped this last time." he replied as he gave the wallet to the girl.

"T-thank you." She took the pouch and held it tight.

It was very unlike the Mai that Kikumaru would see when they were practicing, not even when she was at her own school.

The Mai that everyone seemed to know was energetic, loud, happy and a strong person… The girl before him showed no trail of that girl, and at that precise moment, Mai seemed to be frail, sad, and unprotected.

_Girls are very strange creatures…_

"E-Eiji-senpai?" Mai looked at him with worried eyes, "Are you OK?"

_You're the one who's not OK, Sachimi-chan!_

"Of course! Ne, after finishing this-" he pertained to the cup of hot chocolate, "-since it's still early, let's go at this place I know!"

Mai watched the boy intently, and found herself in a fleeting stardust. She shook her head and reminded herself that she has a boyfriend and she loves Teruo-kun very much. But how can she turn down a person who has been so nice to her?

A small smile graced her lips, "Sure, Eiji-senpai."

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After finishing the tasty liquid chocolate, the two hurriedly went to the place that Kikumaru told her.

A pet shop filled with different kinds of dogs, cats, birds, rats, rabbits, and other animals.

"Kya! Rabbits are so cute!" Mai exclaimed as she watched a white rabbit with a spot on its right eye jumped. Kikumaru felt a swelling feeling of happiness when he saw her eyes lit up, not with sadness, but quite the opposite.

"You like it?" asked Kikumaru. Mai nodded enthusiastically, she then spotted a glass cage. Different breeds of dogs ran around, some were asleep and a few ones were leaning on the glass.

"Kya! Siberian husky!" she put her hands on the glass as she watched a little gray and white puppy catch its tail.

Kikumaru went beside her, "I prefer cats, hoi, hoi, nya!"

"It's about personal preference, isn't it, Eiji-senpai?" She turned at him and stuck her tongue out. Then she went back to the rabbits' pen, and continued to ogle at the little critters.

Once more, joy lit up her then-saddened face.

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They visited every pet shop they could go to, and Kikumaru had just found another "pet shop tourist". Mai seemed to enjoy looking at the pets, and even dragged Kikumaru to the next shop, and the next. The two laughed as they exited the last shop wherein they knocked some of the pet foods and almost got scolded by the owner. They slowed down when they got to the corner and stopped right before a small ice cream store.

They looked at each other and laughed like crazy.

"Ha ha… that was fun!" exclaimed Mai, bending down, with her hands on her knees, holding her up. Kikumaru huffed.

"Yeah…" Kikumaru noticed the booth. He gestured at Mai, saying they should take some. Mai quirked a brow.

"But it's freezing!"

"I know."

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"So… that's why you're called the Golden Pair…" Mai trailed off, as she licked some of her cheese flavored ice cream.

_I hope we're not looking like we're dating or anything…_ she thought.

It was almost six in the evening and the two sat together at the kiosk. The chairs were arranged in twos, and the tables were a little farther from each other.

She looked at the guy opposite her and smiled. He was busy trying to lick the melting ice cream at the sides; he then noticed her staring at him.

"Nya?"

"N-nothing." She stuttered and immediately diverted her attention to the melting ice cream. It was Kikumaru's turn to stare at her.

As he finished eating, he rested his chin on one hand and gazed at the now conscious girl.

"W-what are you looking at? Do I have dirt on my face?" her brows wrinkled. Kikumaru shook his head but continued to stare at her nonetheless.

Mai felt Kikumaru's gaze at her as she tried to shrug it off; an unfamiliar heat on her face crept at her, and when she accidentally looked into his blue orbs, she felt her heart beat faster.

She shook herself and chanted on her mind that she _can't,_ and_ couldn't_ feel anything for her senpai… anything more than friends. She thought that she might just be feeling this way because Teruo wasn't exactly the "affectionate" boyfriend…

"Ne, Sachimi-chan."

Mai brushed off her blush. _Yes, Eji-senpai is just a friend. Of course._

"Hm?"

"How are you and your boyfriend?" he suddenly asked.

Mai looked at him, "Eiji-senpai, why'd you ask?"

"Nothing." Kikumaru shrugged.

Mai licked her lips clean as she finished her ice cream, "We're OK… well sort of."

"Sort of?"

Mai nodded.

_You're so nosy, Eiji-senpai._

"How come?"

"Eh?"

"I mean, why sort of?" Kikumaru added, "Sort of good, sort of bad… what?"

Mai smirked, "You're nosy, Eiji-senpai." Kikumaru gazed at her with surprise.

"You think so? Inui's a lot nosier than I could be." He looked away from her, his nose up in the air.

The girl smiled at him. She fiddled with her fingers.

"You're really a friendly person, ne, Eiji-senpai…" she bit her lip, "But I really can't tell you about it."

"Nya? Why?"

She plastered a mocking smile, "You might go jealous of our sweetness, baka senpai, because you don't have a girlfriend."

"Kya!" Kikumaru pouted, "You're mean!"

She laughed heartily, but somehow, as Kikumaru looked into her eyes, they told him that she was lying.

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In his room, Kikumaru plopped on his bed, his arms outstretched. He felt the comfort of the cushion underneath him, and then he threw his arm over his eyes.

Kikumaru's fists clenched and unclenched, he gritted his teeth as he closed his eyes and remembered slightly the sadness that dawned on her face as she talked to him.

It was the same unhappiness that was present on her eyes when he went to their school once and found her sitting alone there. He turned to his side and opened his eyes.

"_You're really a friendly person, Eiji-senpai…"_

"_But I really can't tell you about it."_

Kikumaru pulled his pillow and covered his face with it. He couldn't understand his self for feeling so down quite lately. The image of the sad brown haired girl on the park had once again entered his mind.

All he wanted this time was to see her smile again. He couldn't believe that even when he accompanied her back to the Nozomi's, she was still trying to cover the melancholy that she felt.

His melodramatic mode was broken by his sister's voice.

"Eiji, dinner's ready!"

Kikumaru got up from his bed, "Coming!"

He shook his self, he can't look bad in front of his family.

After dinner, when he was brushing his teeth, he thought, "Ok, I'm done regretting it! All I got to do now is make sure Sachimi-chan will really smile next time!"

And he had a good night's sleep, with his beloved teddy bear, Daigoru, of course.

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In another room, just some blocks away from the Kikumaru residence…

As Atsuyo's sleeping soundly on the underside of the double-deck bed, the young occupant of the top bed kept on turning around.

With her eyes closed, the dreaming Mai said, "Arigatou… Eiji-senpai…"

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A/N: Yesssshhhh… at last, I finished my eighteenth chapter… and nope, I'm not yet finished… not even half-way, cause it's still rumbled a bit… but additional ideas are very much helpful. Even though I put a lot of chapters in one go, I still check if there's any new ideas from the readers… it's because I do the chapters at home, whenever I have extra time (which will now be slowly diminished…because I will now have classes…) and then I go to the nearest computer rental and surf the net (which isn't the least cheap!)…

BTW, do you think my OCs are Mary Sues? I just saw that this fic is in a C2… of Mary Sues and no0bs… I'm embarrassed… huhuhu… hehehe.

Oh well… thank you for those who reviewed the fic! Thank you! Hearts for you!


	19. Strangeness

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DISCLAIMER: I do not own Prince of Tennis… not even Tezuka-sama, Momoshiro-kun and Ryoma-sama! (fangirl squee!) Not even Konomi-sama!

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**Chapter 19**

**Strangeness**

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After splitting from Kikumaru and Mai, Kawamura and Atsuyo walked together at the streets of Tokyo. In complete contrast of Tokyo's bursting noise, the two walked side by side with silence that you could even hear a pin being dropped.

What an earth shattering silence.

Kawamura sighed, but it was Atsuyo who first spoke.

"Ne, Taka-san, I think you stepped on crap."

"W-what?!" he then immediately left off to somewhere to take the crap off his shoes. Atsuyo stared at him intently, her blue eyes scrutinizing the soft-spoken boy; it made him fidget a little.

"Ne, Taka-san, do you have sort of personality problem?" she asked nonchalantly at him.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" he asked back as they continued walking.

She puckered her lips, "When you play tennis… and when you hold a racket, you would magically become loud and bellicose person."

Kawamura only laughed.

"Hide-senpai told us everything… er… almost everything about Seigaku's tennis club members before hand." Said Atsuyo, her hands neatly rested before her as she walked.

"S-she did? Ehehehe…"

"Uhm." Atsuyo nodded, "But only when in terms of your team's performance on the court, but she said she was too lazy to take other information whatsoever. My senpai-tachi are such a lazy bunch." She spat.

"Oi, is it okay for you to talk like that about your senpai?" Kawamura asked.

"Nope. But I feel better when I talk about what I think about other people." She said casually, as if she's used talking like that. "You won't tell it to other people, ne, Taka-san? What I said about my senpai?"

"Well… I dunno."

Atsuyo raised a brow. Kawamura sighed.

"O-okay, I won't tell anybody."

Atsuyo held up her left hand, her little pinky finger outstretched while the others were hiding in her clutch, "Pinky promise?" Kawamura blinked and commented mentally of how childish it was.

"Pinky promise."

Oh well, he promised anyway.

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The girl fell silent again as they continued on walking. She walked small, seemingly equal steps and she had the aura of something he didn't notice until that day… er… afternoon.

She was cautious. Really cautious. Of what, he didn't have any idea, but from the way her eyes shiftily darted from left to right it seemed like she was expecting something to jump at her.

Takashi cleared his throat, taking the attention of the red-haired girl.

"Ne… Nozomi-san…" The girl stared at him. "…"

_Damn… I couldn't think of anything to say!_

"Taka-san?"

_Okay, it's official. I'm speechless._

"You look pale. Are you sick?"

"Er… no. Not really." Answered Takashi. But at the moment, he felt like he was going to be sick.

Atsuyo continued to watch him, "Let's go buy lollipops." She said as she tugged Kawamura's arm with her to the sweet shop that they just passed by.

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They continued to walk on, one of their hands busy holding a big candy on a stick. Atsuyo chose the rainbow colored one which was bubblegum flavor, while Takashi bought an odd flavored one.

"Doesn't that… taste bad?" Atsuyo gave him a freaked out look… or rather, she gave his bought-sweet a freaked out look. "I haven't known anyone who enjoyed eating… mushroom flavored candies in my entire life."

"I love mushrooms." Kawamura replied. He was immediately countered by the little girl.

"Soups are different from candies. I would certainly understand why you would like mushroom soup… but mushroom candy?!" she gave the candy a disgusted look, "Gross."

Takashi frowned.

_Okay, he preferred that she'd just shut up and not talk. The usual Nozomi-san… ah! Wait!_

He gave the girl a good look and tried to remember what her older brother said about her.

"_She still is a child-minded girl." _

_She's not like this when we're with other people; she would usually keep silent and tried not to bother anyone… but now…_

He kept what he thought to himself as he watched the girl intently. She kept on babbling about a lot of things, and he was surprised, that she pinpointed how a girl who just passed by them looked like she was going to some bar because of her skimpy clothes, which he thought he heard from someone earlier.

Kawamura continued on observing the girl and found out a lot of stuff that she didn't like… the infamous Inui juice for example.

"But you haven't drunk any of Inui's Penal Tea, Nozomi-san." Kawamura reasoned.

"I know. But Sanyu-senpai told us that Inui-senpai also made veggie juices that taste a lot like her medicinal drinks…" Atsuyo scowled, "And those were really gross."

"Oh, I see…" Kawamura gulped.

_This is it._

"Y-you seem to be… much more talkative now, ne, Nozomi-san."

The girl puckered up her lips, "It's because you promised."

"P-promised?"

"Yeah." She nodded, "The pinky promise." She showed her left hand, her pinky finger standing out. "You promised you won't tell it to anyone. Mai-chan made that promise too years ago."

"…"

Atsuyo continued to walk while Kawamura felt that his feet were rooted on the ground. He was confused with her. He couldn't grasp her at all. Sometimes she acted like she was some kind of detective talking of such trivial things like the way something was thrown carelessly at the ground, sometimes she talked like she was some kind of child from kindergarten with all of her pinky finger promise, sometimes… he just couldn't get her at all!

If this was what her brother told him of her being child-minded… this wasn't being child-minded at all!

She's kind of some messed up person!

"Oi, Taka-san!" he snapped back to reality, Atsuyo was now some good feet away from him. "I'm going to leave you there if you don't hurry up!" a wide smile was on her small lips.

_She smiled. She really smiled… wait, she did?_

"Y-yeah, coming."

The two continued to walk.

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The two had finished their candies, and was almost just some good quarter parts away from the Nozomi household.

"Mai-chan used to live in Shibuya." Atsuyo said without much of reason, "But the food there was awful."

Kawamura shot a confused look at the little chef.

"When we met… almost six years ago, she would complain nonstop about her home." Atsuyo continued, "It was like salad without the dressing or the vegetables."

"But that would… taste bad."

"Uh huh. When we became best friends, she'd rather eat with my family than with her own family. My family tried to talk to her about her behavior, but it was useless." She shrugged, "Mai-chan's such a stubborn bull."

An idea came on his chef's mind. He turned to Atsuyo, "She doesn't enjoy her food, does she?"

"Bingo." She exclaimed, but continued on walking anyways. "Food doesn't only make people feel full, but it also makes them happy. The happier the people eating the food, the tastier the food is! My mother always tells us about it."

"She… doesn't enjoy eating?"

"Only when she's at her house in Shibuya. She's always told me that she didn't want to stay at that place, that's why she moved with us."

Kawamura stayed still.

"You sure do know a lot about Sachimi-san, Nozomi-san." He said.

Atsuyo nodded, "Of course. She's my best friend forever after all!"

Kawamura smiled.

_Of course. There must be no other reason why._

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They finally reached their destination and the sun had already set a good ten minutes earlier. Atsuyo asked Takashi if he'd want to eat some of their served food for the day but he refused. He told her that he's still got a lot of things to do at his father's sushi shop. The girl nodded and told him that she won't insist on doing so.

"Come and eat here if you have the time, Taka-san." She told him, "And rest of Seigaku too, the more the happier."

"Sure." Kawamura nodded. He then remembered something, "Oh… Nozomi-san… are you still angry at Echizen?"

Atsuyo nodded, "Yeah… a little. That cocky little brat needs some spanking, but it's not for me to do that. Nothing I could do about it." Takashi nodded.

"Ja ne, Nozomi-san." He waved.

The girl waved back, "Ja, Taka-san! Don't forget our promise!" He nodded. And it was enough to give her a good night's sleep.

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A/N: Yay! Another chapter finished!! WHO HOO!!! More ideas from the readers are very much appreciated! 3 MWAH!

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	20. Faint

DISCLAIMER: I Do Not Own Prince Of Tennis!

A/N: Yes, I do know that I do not focus on the main pairing in this fic that much, Ryoma/Sakuno actually, but there are some things that needs to be addressed before I go on with all the fluff-ness factor… (since I do know that fluff isn't exactly my forte… I'm more of the angst writer, but since I have no idea how to make angst out of tennis…). I assure that if I "finish" those "things", I can finally move on to RyoSaku. (Now I am wondering how long will this fic be… mumbles off) But thank you for reminding me of that! Hearts and kisses to those who reviewed my fic! MWAH!

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**Chapter 20**

**Faint**

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Seigaku had now left the grounds of Daidouji and was off to their own homes. Sakuno looked back at the school, with the silhouette of her friend waving at her; she waved back. Her eyes now glanced to the person walking before them; she wondered why he let the girl stay in the grounds…

"_Don't bother trying to accompany me home." Tatsue said, looking up at the tennis buchou, "I'm to wait for Natsume-buchou tonight… she's the only one who knows where I stay."_

_Tezuka lifted a brow. Tatsue took notice of it and looked away, "Err… I got lost the last time I tried to go home alone… she's the only one who knows the shortcut."_

"_Does she know about it?" asked Oishi, looking worried. _(Yeah we all know that he was born a worrier…)_. Tatsue nodded._

"_She'll probably stand up in the middle of their discussion and leave the room, then race downstairs __**clumsily**__-_"_ Seigaku sweatdropped "- and most probably be coming…"_

_True enough, the kendo buchou was running from the main hall. She halted as if looking for them, and as she spotted them, she ran to them._

"_I'm sorry! Kitami-chan's… oh, you're still here, thank goodness…" she took a deep breath and smiled awkwardly at Tezuka, "I'm sorry for not saying it earlier, Kitami-chan would be staying here for a while… sorry for bothering you!"_

"_Betsuni." Tezuka replied indifferently. He turned to his teammates and said that they will leave already. (Ayashi mental note (along with the medusa-like hair): DIE, TEZUKA, DIE!)_

_Sakuno waved at Tatsue, who waved back at her. She noted that Tatsue stuck a tongue out at Ryoma (Tatsue to Ryoma: BEH!) who ignored her. She smiled sheepishly at her friend's antics, but then noticed that Ryoma was looking at HER. Sakuno blushed. She was saved by their senpai who chided on Ryoma for some obscure reason._

END FLASHBACK

Sakuno sighed. It was a weird day, not to mention tiring, but there were things she understood about the kendo club…

"You're lost in thought again." Muttered Ryoma, who was walking with her, their senpais walking just before them. Sakuno blushed again.

"Ah… I'm sorry." She apologized. Ryoma raised a brow.

"For what?" he returned into his stoic mode, though of course, we all know as of the recent reactions he's had when Sakuno's around…

Sakuno dropped her head low and heaved her shoulders up, in such a manner that expressed a rather… disturbing amount of low self-confidence. (We know that there's this big gloomy cloud over Sakuno by this time, along with the wind that is worthy of Sakuragi Hanamichi…)

"S-Saku-" All of a sudden, without prior warning whatsoever, Momoshiro jumped between them and meowed, "Mo-Momoshiro-senpai?" Ryoma stepped back.

"What are you two whispering about, huh?" he asked in such a manner that even though of course it wasn't _that_ malicious, but still offered the certainty that there is in fact something fishy going on (you know the "grin" must be there! YES! There must be that this-is-not-a-malicious-smile-I-swear-smile!). Ryoma paled and Sakuno furrowed her brows in utter and desperate confusion.

"It's nothing…" Ryoma kept his cool just when he thought he was about to lose it.

Momoshiro shrugged and went on his business, which was for the time being, bother, well, not really, but something like that…

"Oi, Sakuno-chan, how's your tennis going anyway?" Momoshiro asked. Sakuno answered politely as she usually does so; Ryoma felt his own lips carve a frown, though if it was evident, he knew nothing; he really shouldn't be bothered by such. Really.

They continued on walking; Ryoma diverted his attention to his other sepais… which were… _Kaidoh-senpai, Inui-senpai, Oishi-fukubuchou, Fuji-senpai and Tezuka-buchou_… which didn't help in any way. Ryoma sighed; he then heard the loquacious laughter from Momoshiro and a slightly giggling Sakuno.

He felt his chest like it was being pricked by something when he saw Sakuno being "harassed" (which consisted of teasing, cajoling, nudging) by his senpai (Momoshiro) and didn't seem to be fuzzed about it, the fact that he was getting such close proximity without getting Sakuno all riled up and talking to her… unlike whenever, he, Ryoma would talk to Sakuno, she'd stutter or make him feel that he was an outsider or something. Somehow, Ryoma hated this feeling of…

"Hahahaha!" Momoshiro laughed after he just told a joke to Sakuno who, even though rather uncomfortable, laughed with him. Ryoma just couldn't shake the feeling of enviousness of Sakuno and Momoshiro's "relationship" (well, at least to him… but isn't it the other way around? Shouldn't be Sakuno be jealous of Momoshiro and Ryoma's relationship?).

"And yeah, one time, Mamushi-"

Okay, he's had it!

Ryoma had once again, for the second time that day, snatched away Sakuno from possible "enemies". (snigger)

"Oi! Echizen!" Momoshiro shouted as Ryoma continued to walk away from them, dragging Sakuno along with him. Inui grinned. "Just make sure you bring Sakuno-chan to Ryuzaki-sensei's house!" shouted Momoshiro, with that triumphant trickster look on his face.

_Holy crap! I've been tricked!_ Ryoma thought. But it was too late anyway, Seigaku had already left them (yeah, and they waved too!) and they did seem to be much more accomplished that when they won against Hyoutei… (ahem).

"Looks like I have no choice…" muttered Ryoma, feeling a little helpless of the situation. Sakuno looked at him with her undoubtedly brown eyes, a slight feeling of something… horrible had just weighed his stomach down as he saw her eyes. She took away her hand from his clutch.

"I see…" Sakuno smiled weakly, Ryoma couldn't help but blush, "You don't have to accompany me home, Ryoma-kun." She said, the blush on Ryoma's face turned into something like… black lines drooped along his paled face; "If you're just doing this because our senpai forced you-"

"I-It's not that" Sakuno took a step back. She… heard him stutter… loudly too!

It was one of those moments that you'd want to record it, but apparently your mobile phone wasn't that new that you actually regret not buying that camera mobile phone. Thank god for memories.

It was odd, but it seemed like Ryoma had intentionally and instantly pulled his cap down for some unknown reason. (But I do believe you know why…)

Sakuno's hand was once again enveloped by his; it was odd, it seemed like whenever they were alone together, Ryoma would almost always… take her hand with his… as if… as if…

Sakuno felt her soul leave her.

"S-Sakuno!"

That was the last word that Sakuno heard before fainting.

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"Uh…." Sakuno groaned. She didn't feel any kind of pain… oh, she was in something fluffy and… She rolled to her side and slowly opened her eyes. She was in her own room.

But how the heck did she get back? If she fainted… then Ryoma might've brought her to their home! But… maybe he just called her grandmother and told the place where they were… or probably called his senpai-tachi which was rather a lot more convenient...

The door opened. Ryuzaki-sensei came inside; she seemed like she had just cooked something. According to Sakuno's senses, she had just cooked something like…

"Fried chicken, Sakuno?"

_I knew it._ Sakuno thought; so, her grandmother wasn't the best cook, but at least she could cook a little.

"No, I'm not really hungry…" she pushed back some strands of hair our of her cheeks.

"Ryoma dropped you here last night." Said Sumire in a rather nonchalant fashion, but she was looking at Sakuno a little; "He looked flustered. The boy obviously had no idea why you lost consciousness… and neither do I."

Sakuno stopped. Did her grandmother just say that she was brought back to her house by Ryoma?

She blushed furiously at the thought… and once again, fainted.

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A/N: Such a short chapter… well, I'm sort of busy with my studies that I apparently have no time… but I'll try to write chapters for MotH. So please, enjoy!


	21. Crushed

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DISCLAIMER: I do not own PoT! Darn, I'm getting tired of always putting this here… Oh, do you mind if I'd no longer put the disclaimer thingy? 

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**Chapter 21**

**CRUSHED**

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Sakuno arrived at the practice later than she intended too, but she clearly didn't expect this…

"He… he totally crushed Ryoma!" Kachiro exclaimed, horrified. Horio was left speechless.

Ryoma was on his knees. He couldn't believe he lost.

The regulars of Seigaku tennis club gawked at the scene. It was as if it was just some kind of joke that Ryoma pulled on them… if it wasn't the fact that they knew he wasn't.

Sumire didn't expect the result either; it was just a practice game against Daidouji's sister school from Shibuya, Kinimoto Gakuen's tennis club…

The boy on the other side of Ryoma's court sighed.

"_Es una verdadera pena__…_" he said in pure Spanish. "I thought you were a lot better since you were the one who had, in fact, defeated Atobe-san." A smile graced his lips as he saw the other boy in utter shock. He threw the racket on his shoulder and left the court with a smug and triumphant look on his face.

He noticed a small, unnoticed twin braided girl from a corner.

"Konnichiwa, Sakuno-chan." A voice so sweet and kind echoed in Sakuno's ears. A mess of jet black hair met her eyes as she looked up. Brown strands stood up amongst his natural colored ones and his emerald eyes were filled with happiness.

Ryoma clenched his hand while it was still on the dusty ground.

Sakuno couldn't believe it what she had seen… Ryoma was crushed harshly!

0 – 6!

In favor of…

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One week ago…

"You want to what?" Mariko asked, the voice from the other line wafted once more; the fukubuchou then hung the phone. Ayashi, who was eating another bowl of yakisoba, stared up at her.

"Anything wrong, Mariko-chan?" she asked. Mariko sat down beside Ayashi, she looked at the food and sighed.

"You're eating again. You'll get fatter and fatter if you keep on doing that." She commented. Ayashi pouted.

"Aw! That wasn't what I was talking about! What was that phone call?" Ayashi flailed her hands in the air… acting like some kind of young kid.

"A call from Kinimoto Gakuen… it was Akinori Akinosuke… you know, the captain of their tennis club." Answered Mariko, "It seems that they want to have a practice match…"

Ayashi lifted a brow, "But _we're_ **not** _tennis_ players."

"Who said it would be us?" retorted Mariko. Her brown eyes seemed serious enough though to change Ayashi back into her "office" mode.

"Is it Seigaku?" she asked. Mariko nodded, and then Ayashi put her finger on her lips, "But isn't that weird? How'd they know we know Seigaku?"

"I have no idea."

Ayashi stood up, stretched a little and yawned. She lazily took her blazer from the couch and proceeded to go to the door. Mariko asked where she was going.

"I'm going to Shin's office. He _might_ know."

"I'm coming with you." She sighed. It was NEVER a good idea to let Ayashi wander off on her own.

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Shinichi, who was now in a sailor fuku that wasn't even their own school's uniform, stared at them in disbelief.

"Are you accusing me that I'm the one who gave that away?!" he scowled at them. The two girls nodded imperturbably causing the boy to turn into stone and break into a million pieces of uneven broken hardened cement. Large bubbles of tears bubbled (whoa, whoa, whoa) from his eyes as he saw Emiko and Jun pass by the **Journalism** Club's office.

"EMI-CHAAAAAAN!!!" he shrieked as he tackle-glomped Emiko who was taken by surprise by the sudden appearance of her friend. She looked at the two indifferent girls inside the room and turned to Jun who still had the clueless look on her face.

"Shinichi, what are you wailing for?" Emiko asked. Shinichi took out a napkin and sneezed. He pointed at the two girls inside the room (who were now by the door).

"Emi-chan! I thought they were my friends! T-They accused me of tattling on them!" he frowned. Emiko stared at him.

"But isn't that what you really do?" Jun asked him, bending down with a smile on her face that even a yakuza would never wish to see. Shinichi felt like the most terrifying of all lightning had just struck him dead.

"KYA! Minna-san! Don't do that!" Emiko exclaimed, Shinichi beamed. "I know that Shinichi is such a pervert," Shinichi blanched, "-a money-making-schemer," all the blood and liquid available in his body was drained, "-and a man who loves only money," his world broke into a million pieces, "-you shouldn't think of rude things such as that!"

"Look. A soul." Mariko pointed at the white thingy that came out of his mouth.

"KYAA!!! SHINICHI!" Emiko screamed.

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"So it wasn't Shinichi after all." Ayashi said, titling the chair she occupied by using her feet as leverage. The third years were back in Ayashi's office; they had already asked Shinichi if he had any contact with the Kinigaku recently, but apparently, he was much more absorbed in his "escapades" on stalking, er… following, er… data gathering on Hyoutei Gakuen.

Mariko slouched on the comfy sofa, "Then who was it?"

Jun sipped from her cup and was watching the birds outside calmly. Emiko on the other hand was typing something on her laptop. Her eyes widened with what she saw.

"Aya-chan!" she whirled at the kendo captain, "You… you have to see this!"

Ayashi, Mariko and Jun went nearer to the glassed batch mate and gasped.

"Could… could it be?!"

_Seigaku…_

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A young boy with calm features walked on the grounds of Seigaku. His navy blue blazer didn't match in any way with those used by the students in Seigaku; his black necktie didn't seem to be wrinkled and neither did his uniform. A smile was plastered on his face that made girls swoon as he passed by.

On his left hand was a small envelope…

"Ah, anou… ojou-san." He approached a girl with innocent eyes. He gave the girl with a smile.

"Y-yes?" the girl stuttered. She was taken by his attitude.

"Well, I'm sort of lost here in Seigaku…" he scratched the back of his head with his right hand. He seemed to blush, hence the girl blushed twenty times than her original blush.

"Y-yes?"

A smile filled his lips, "Do you know where the… Seigaku tennis club office is?"

The girl nodded enthusiastically. Unknown to her, the boy she was accompanying was thinking more than just "visiting".

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"SA-KU-NO-CHAN!" Tomoka shouted as Sakuno swept the floor clean. She looked up at her friend.

"Hn? What is it, Tomo-chan?" The look on Tomoka's face was almost exactly as when she first saw Ryoma. She was squealing like a fan girl and flailing her hands in the air.

"A REALLY CUTE guy just came earlier!" she walked up to Sakuno, her eyes blazing. She had never looked so… er… infatuated since Ryoma.

Sakuno forced a laugh, "Ha ha, that's nice, Tomo-chan…" Tomoka's eyes flared with blazing fire.

"You HAVE to see him, Sakuno-chan!"

"EH?!"

Sakuno found herself being dragged away from her work. She wondered when she'll be able to sweep the floor in peace.

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Inside the tennis club office, the young boy had already talked with Sumire; though a little taken aback by the sudden visit and the proposal itself, the coach did not sense anything wrong with it, though of course she consulted it with the rest of the team. The regulars were excited to meet them though; it had been a while since they've last had their practice match!

"Arigatou gozaimasu, Ryuzaki-sensei." The boy politely bowed. Sumire shrugged it off and asked him if it was alright if they'll be doing the practice game inside the Seigaku grounds. The boy nodded; it did not bother him that there would be an awful lot of cheers for the Seigaku regulars.

The boy was about to leave just as the regulars came inside the office. They were surprised to see the boy, probably just two inches taller than Ryoma; Sumire greeted them with the fact that the boy was the one who asked for the practice game.

Ryoma's eyes turned into dangerous slits of hazel orbs as he observed the boy. He didn't like the look the other boy was giving him… and he thought… he knew he'd seen that boy somewhere…

The boy went on, of course, not before bowing to the upper-class and the coach. He gave a rather odd twisted smile at Ryoma, who felt like he was being challenged by the boy. Ryoma shot a glare back at him. He then left, with a rather satisfied look in his eyes.

When he passed by Ryoma, he whispered something that made Ryoma turn his head to follow the boy's whisper. Ryoma once again narrowed his eyes.

Now he remembered.

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Sakuno was being dragged away by Tomoka when they came face to face with the boy. Tomoka whispered to Sakuno that 'the boy' was looking for her too. The shy girl blushed furiously as the boy smiled at her. He approached them.

"Arigatou, Osakada-san. Thank you for letting me see my _friend_ once again." He nodded at the energetic girl. Tomoka smiled earnestly at the both. She told Sakuno that the boy had told her they were friends and they haven't seen each other for such a long time; Tomoka waved back at them as she left them together, so they could talk. (Of course, Tomoka whispered to Sakuno that _she_, Sakuno, shouldn't cheat at Ryoma!)

When Tomoka had already left, the dark haired boy came nearer to Sakuno. He smiled, "Didn't I tell you I was going to visit you?"

The blush on Sakuno's face grew brighter and redder, if it was even possible.

Unknown to her, another boy was looking through a window, looking really pissed off at the proximity that Sakuno and the other boy shared.

A weird grin came to the other boy's face as he took Sakuno by hand and pulled her to him, taking her into a full embrace. It made Sakuno's eyes widen, while Ryoma was seething with unknown anger.

"A-anou…"

"I… will avenge your tears, milady." He said. Still in his arms, Sakuno gasped, "Do not worry. I just don't like a cute girl like you cry again. OK? There is nothing to worry about." He pushed her a little away from him to see her face. He cupped her chin; Ryoma flinched as he watched them. He wanted to look away, but he seemed to be glued on the scene… with a fear that the _he_ might do something to Sakuno.

"Anou… you can let go now…" Sakuno muttered, "Ke-"

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Sakuno stood in horror.

She had never seen Ryoma so worn out since his last match with Hyoutei's Atobe Keigo.

"_Es una verdadera pena__…_" he said in pure Spanish. "I thought you were a lot better since you were the one who had, in fact, defeated Atobe-san." There was no hint of malice in his voice, yet, Ryoma's ears were pounding.

He lost.

He really lost.

The regulars couldn't believe it either. Almost all of them were swept in their feet by the challenging team, well, except for Fuji and Tezuka, though.

The boy left the court; he then noticed the twin braided girl who was frozen in shock.

"Konnichiwa, Sakuno-chan." A voice so sweet and kind echoed in Sakuno's ears. A mess of jet black hair met her eyes as she looked up. Brown strands stood up amongst his natural colored ones and his emerald eyes were filled with happiness.

Sakuno couldn't believe it what she had seen… Ryoma was crushed harshly!

0 – 6!

In favor of…

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A/N: Hahaha, got you there. You really thought I was going to put it here, ne? See ya next time! (oh yeah, I'd probably post just one or two chapters per log in…) (I'm still depressed with the ending of TDH being Harry/Ginny… oh well. It sucks.)

_Es una verdadera pena -- _NOTE: I'll put it on the next chapter cause I forgot to put the meaning... but it's something like... "It's not yet there" (shame), "That's too bad"... But I'll DEFINITELY put the meaning next chapter!


	22. Misunderstandings?

A/N: This is the edited version since a line from the first one apparently DID NOT make sense, even to me. Just one line though. Have fun!

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**Chapter 22**

**Misunderstandings?**

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"Kenichi-kun…"

Sakuno muttered as Kenichi ruffled her hair and said that he was hoping that Ryoma was a match, but was utterly disappointed.

"Don't be sad, Sakuno-chan." He muttered, "It's not like we're not going to be friends anymore when I had beaten him, right?" There was this hopeful tone in his voice that Sakuno just couldn't help but agree with. She wasn't exactly the person who would let a person down.

"MADA! MADA! MADA!" Ryoma shouted. Kenichi looked back at the beaten boy, a strange glint in his eyes; Sakuno looked worried like hell.

"Funny, I thought I had already beaten you, Echizen-san." Kenichi said without a hint of malice in his voice. Sakuno whipped her head to look at Kenichi.

Ryoma had stood up. He pointed a finger at Kenichi.

"I – will – defeat—you!" his cat eyes were flaring as he glared at the other boy beside Sakuno.

Kenichi sighed.

"Whatever you say, Echizen-san…" he smiled at him; it was odd of how he was still able to stay smiling like that. An idea struck him as he saw Sakuno.

With Ryoma still shooting glares at him, he touched Sakuno's braid.

"I like your long hair… it's really nice." He appraised the chocolate locks. "I hope you keep on letting that crown of yours grow longer."

Sakuno blushed at the comment. No one's told her that… it was always Ryoma telling her that it was too long…

Seeing Sakuno blush of another person's actions irked Ryoma for some reason.

Right.

Hormones.

Whatever he was feeling was just because of those stupid hormones that got the better of him at the moment… he was a growing boy, no wonder…

But is that really the reason?

The captain of the Kinigaku bowed to Sumire and left with the others; he had apologized for Kenichi's actions, and so was Sumire with Ryoma.

Speaking of Ryoma….

"Why were you talking to him?" he asked Sakuno, not facing her. He dreaded what she was going to say.

She was facing nothing but his back, Sakuno sighed, "Kenichi-kun is a friend—"

Ryoma whirled around, an unknown anger in his face. "Friend?! FRIEND?!" Sakuno was taken aback by his sudden change of tone (not to mention, he just lost his cool…), "No decent friend would do… do… would flirt with his friend!"

Sakuno bit her lip.

_Kenichi wasn't flirting!!_

"He was the guy who gave you that handkerchief, right?" he asked darkly. Sakuno nodded; she wondered what was wrong with her, why was she letting him talk to her like that…

"I don't like you talking to him... _Don't talk to him anymore!_" Ryoma said, glowering. Sakuno gasped, "W-What?! But Ryoma-kun… he's my friend!"

"Why do you need him? You've got the whole Seigaku regulars, Osakada, Horio, Kachiro, Katsuo and those girls from Daigaku! You don't have any more space in your heart for him!" Ryoma was letting his feelings get the better of him this time. He was raging with fury… fury that another person had just touched Sakuno… had just gotten that smile that was usually, and only, reserved for _him_.

Sakuno took a step back… she didn't like this feeling. It was like she was some kind of _thing_ that he owned… she just wasn't a thing, an object that Ryoma owned.

She felt like she was an old toy that he got tired of, threw away and when he found that she was being held by another person, he will get all privy and take her _just like that_.

It was enough. She fancied him, yes, and she _still_ does, but he had NO right to tell her who she would be friends with!

"URUSAI YO, RYOMA-KUN!" Sakuno shouted so hard, and so loud that even Sumire and the others thought they had heard her, "YOU'RE NOT MY MASTER! YOU'RE NOT MY FATHER! AND YOU'RE CERTAINLY NOT MY _BOYFRIEND…_ SO PLEASE DON'T TELL ME WHO TO BEFRIEND!"

Ryoma looked stunned. Twice in his life, he had gotten some shouting from Sakuno. _Twice._

Tears were already overflowing from her eyes when she stopped talking, and she was on the verge of really crying. She took some steps back and turned around, almost staggering.

Ryoma stood rooted on the spot. He spat angrily.

He had done it again.

He made her cry again.

"Oi, Echizen, what happened?" Momoshiro walked to him. Ryoma said it was nothing; he told his senpai that he'd be leaving without them and that he was meeting his dad so there was nothing to think about.

It was all a lie.

He needed some time to think. Alone.

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A/N: Ok, another short chapter… sorry, I'm a little out on ideas right now that I have no utter idea what I should write next… Author's block, obviously… oh well… I've just gotten a new review! YAY!! Thank you! Thank you for reading the fic!! Hearts and more kisses to all of you!!!

PS: With the confusion of what this phrase meant, "es una verdadera pena", it's meaning would be "That's really too bad." (shame)… JA!


	23. Short Reflections, Part 1

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**Chapter 23**

**Short Reflection, Part 1**

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Sakuno went straight home after her "fight" with Ryoma; not even minding to unbraid her hair and change clothes, not even take off her black socks, Sakuno collapsed on the bed. Tears were streaming down her almond eyes and she couldn't stop them. She wouldn't stop them either.

She clutched the pink blanket tightly.

She just shouted at Ryoma… this was the second time she had done so!

"I'm so stupid…" she muttered, covering her face with the rose colored pillow. She turned around, so that she was lying on her stomach; she lifted her head from the pillow and dived it once more in the comfort of the pillow.

She had never felt so stupid since Ryoma told her that her knees were too wobbly and that she sucked at tennis.

She bawled a little harder for some minutes before taking off her head from the poor wet pillow. It was a record. The shortest time a girl had to cry to completely wet a huge pillow.

She turned over, her back now feeling the comfort of the soft mattress; she stared at the ceiling, tears still threaten to fall from her eyes.

She _liked_ Ryoma; there was no doubt about it. She had a crush on him… a pathetic little crush of a mere 12 year old girl.

Shouldn't _she_ be _glad_ that he had finally took notice of her existence as a _girl_ and not some cheerleader who will cheer (obviously, as the name implies) him to no end with a snap of his hand? Shouldn't she be honored that he, the great Echizen Ryoma, had now his attention to her?

"Who wouldn't be angry…" she told herself, frowning.

Yes, he had noticed her as a girl… but since when?

He just started noticing so when he saw her with Kenichi! When someone had her attention other than him! She felt… like she was nothing more than a little prize, waiting for him to take her and then live happily ever after!

But she didn't want to be a mere prize!

She doesn't want him to know that she's a girl just because someone else likes her!

The thought that Ryoma had only become aware of her being when he saw her get a hug from Kenichi was something infuriating… was… something irritating… she couldn't understand the feeling… it was horrible…

She couldn't explain the pain she felt… she felt like she was being treated like… an object.

Tears flood her eyes once more, she wiped them off dry, but her eyes seemed to have an unlimited stock of tears hidden somewhere in her head.

She felt really stupid.

Then again… she knew she had longed that Ryoma will see her as a girl… as who she was. But apparently, it has no hope whatsoever.

She suddenly bolt right up, took a pen and paper from her drawer and noted her grandmother that she wasn't cooking dinner tonight.

She retreated back to the bed she owned and collapsed there once more.

By the time she turned to her side, she thought, "I have to clear things up with Ryoma-kun… I just hope… I could talk to him again after that…"

She closed her eyes, and finally decided…

She'd be skipping dinner tonight…

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A/N: … author's block, sorry. But thanks to those who've put me in their Alert story list! At least I know there are people there who really read MotH!


	24. Short Reflection, Part 2

A/N: I've been having, er, technical problems lately in the PC, so this is the REAL Chapter 24… sorry for the bother for last time! Gomenasai, minna-san! Gomen! Gomen! I've been into making short stories lately, I hope you guys won't be --er-- disappointed. 3

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Chapter 24

Short Reflection, Part 2

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Ryoma returned to the Echizen residence, worn out, pissed off and in utter bad mood. He kicked the trash bin two times, sending them somewhere in their garden. Karupin tried to "cheer" him up by nibbling his leg and showing him the dead rat she'd found earlier that day.

Not exactly appealing to the owner.

His father wasn't helping a lot either, and neither was Ryoga, his adopted older brother. (Though, it is a wonder on how similar they looked!)

All they did were nose in his business and did not leave him alone until Rinko came. She practically whacked them in the heads for being, well, themselves. Nanako, though, thought out loud that they deserved what they got.

Ryoma got fed with everything, stomped his way to his room and practically **SLAMMED** (in bold letters and CAPSLOCK) the door shut. The people on the foot of the stairs winced.

"What did _you two_ do?" Rinko looked unbelievingly at the two woman-loving Echizens. They shrugged.

Nanjirou tried to wave off the suspicion when he told the two girls (who at that time looked incredulously like saber-toothed tigers) that he came home like that. Rinko sighed.

"He's not even thirteen yet!" Rinko shook her head. Then again, there was Nanjirou… who still acted as though he was twenty years younger.

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Ryoma threw his cap off his head and flung it across to somewhere, feeling miserable and angry and defeated AND stupid. He had never felt stupid even once in his darned life.

He felt miserable because he lost. He felt angry because he lost. He felt defeated because he lost. He felt stupid…

He felt stupid…

_Why did he felt stupid?_

Just because he made Ryuzaki Sakuno cry again, which was becoming more and more of his routine nowadays… wait, _why'd he feel stupid_?

Sakuno _was_ right. He was nothing but a schoolmate, a club mate… a friend… yes. That was what he really was.

Her friend.

He felt a pang in his chest upon the realization of _why he felt stupid_. He was _only_ Sakuno's friend. She was right; he definitely had no right whatsoever on whomever she would want to befriend, let alone _boyfriend_.

Bingo. Password correct!

He snarled at the thought that Minami Kenichi was going to be her boyfriend, _not him_. Wait. Did he just think that he'd rather be Sakuno's _boyfriend_ than that Minami bastard?

It was finally. He had really lost his marbles. And he wasn't even lying in his bed yet!

Shuddering at the thought, Ryoma pulled the chair of his desk and sat with such a force that he had regret doing, for his bottom had hurt upon contact. He lit the table lamp and unwillingly (how, I have _no_ idea) bump his head on the table, which he again regretted because it hurt.

He wondered why he had been doing things like these pretty much lately (read: He's acting VERY clumsy), and he always end up feeling stupid and end up regretting everything because… because…

He was _hurt_?

No matter how many times he had thought that it was stupid thinking that he felt stupid because he was _upset_, moreover, because of a girl. He would've understood if it was because of tennis, or because he lost the match. But no – he felt stupid because he had let Sakuno cry again, because he was the one who made her cry!

Ryoma slid his arm before him, wherein he let his head rest. He was now confused…

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	25. Everything Moves

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Chapter 25

Everything Moves

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Seigaku and Daigaku spent the next couple of days polishing the presentation. None of them had mentioned anything about the incident with Kinigaku. Almost.

Tatsue watched as Sakuno and Ryoma basically ignored each other for some obscure reason. Being one of the special group sort of had its advantage of "spying" on the other groups and even on their own group mates. She observed the two, as they winced, flinched, step back, and avoid each other all the while; Sakuno refused to say anything about what happened while Ryoma was in a foul mood, that despite his cool attitude he tends to slip it out for a while.

"Kids. Really." She muttered as she stretched. It was lunch break at that time, and it was fishy. Tatsue hadn't seen her senpai-tachi (especially Ayashi) in the cafeteria.

She walked around a bit, and found herself standing before the hall where they were going to present about Ryuzaki-no-kimi (a very old way to say –san) and the Seigaku team. There, at last, she saw her senpai-tachi; they were doing the polishing practices. She had no idea on how far they had been doing, but it seemed like things were going smoothly; the captains weren't on stage, but rather on the audience seats while the two fukubuchou were blabbering stuff on stage.

"Must be their scripts." Muttered Tatsue as she continued to watch from the doorway. (So yep, she must be skipping work.)

Emiko, Jun, Inui and Fuji were both on the stage too, though they seemed to be immersed into talking in hushed voices; Mai and Kikumaru were just some seats away from the two buchou, while Atsuyo and Takashi were nowhere in sight.

Well, no anymore though.

"Kitami-chan, let us through." Said a breathy voice. It was her senpai, Atsuyo, she was with Kawamura, they were holding trolleys.

"Lunch?" asked Tatsue as she moved away. Atsuyo nodded, but added that the others had already eaten their share, "By others…"

"The special group, excluding you of course," it was Kawamura who answered, "… you could eat with us."

"Ah… it's ok. I'm…" she then remembered something, she raised a brow, "…oh, yeah. I just remembered… ok." She traipsed inside the hall. Atsuyo and Kawamura exchanged puzzled looks at each other.

In act of "courtesy", Tatsue greeted her senpai-tachi, and then, said that she couldn't work with the rest of the Special Group members.

"Nani?!" Mariko raised a brow. Ayashi was busy wolfing down her 1st plate, Seigaku stared at the kendo buchou as she hungrily asked for more food. Kikumaru looked like he was going to be sick…. She was even more gluttonous with food than all of Seigaku put together.

"They're all fidgeting, throwing stuff at each other, those two senpai from the tennis club." Tatsue said with a tone of "as-a-matter-of-fact" lingering with her every word, "But it's sort of boring after some time, what's interesting was that Sakuno-chan and Ryoma-kun seemed to have LQ today. They weren't even looking at each other." She "slurped" a bowl of udon. Ayashi put down her food, she seemed interested.

"Kya! Don't _dare_ do anything, Ayashi." Emiko glanced at the kendo buchou at the corner of her dark orbs. Jun giggled a little.

"Not doing anything!" Ayashi whipped her head at the other 3rd year and stuck out her tongue childishly.

"What's LQ?" asked Kikumaru, turning to the female kohai, Mai.

"Lovers' quarrel." She answered simply, "But I _honestly _don't think they're a couple… they're cute together but…" she trailed off as she had a mouthful of fried rice.

"They're not talking that much to each other." Atsuyo said, frowning.

"Hmm… how much does Sakuno-chan know about Ryoma-kun?" asked Jun, looking mildly interested in the two.

Tezuka sighed as Oishi, Fuji, Kikumaru and Kawamura looked at Inui, who took out his green notebook out of nowhere (hm, it is up to us whether to think that he's a magician or it's that he's too good in Physics that he'd found Einstein's "Theory of relativity" applicable in real life).

"According to data, Sakuno-san—" Kikumaru stuck his tongue at Inui, "—fine, Sakuno-chan had gotten her crush on Echizen Ryoma on his first day here in Japan. He was her inspiration in tennis, and was also the reason why she wanted to play tennis. She had been seen watching Echizen's games, and seemed to cheer him silently, as opposed to a certain—" Tatsue coughed, "—girl; she had also been seen giving him bento during lunch. There is one instance that Sakuno-sa…chan had lost a game to Echizen, three times called Echizen as Echizen not "Ryoma-kun"—"

"Ah, Ryoma-kun, eh?" Emiko muffled a laughter. Inui fixed his black rimmed glasses at the bridge of his nose and cleared his throat.

"And I think, that they may know a certain _Minami Kenichi_." Ayashi choked on her food.

"AYA!" the other third years exclaimed, Atsuyo immediately gave a glass of water to the kendo buchou.

Basing from the look on her face, Mariko almost wanted to knock Ayashi's head off, "That's because you're eating too much!"

"Seriously!" Ayashi pouted at the fukubuchou, after a split second, turned at Inui, "Did you just say… _Minami Kenichi_?" she asked in a rather alarmed tone.

"Yes. I haven't gotten any data-"

"Of course you couldn't." Emiko frowned, "_Shinichi_ told _me_ that there was this Minami Kenichi was raised in Spain, and trained with some of the best tennis players in the world!"

Tezuka lifted his head, "Did he win the last Euro Tennis Cup(1) with the use of… _pelota muerte _(2)?"

Ayashi, Mariko, Jun and Emiko nodded in unison.

"He's amazing—"

"—never seen anyone do something like that—"

"—he's not human—"

"—he's a demon from hell." Emiko snarled, "He's a nice boy when he's not on the court, but I abhor his tennis style… if that's what you call _style_!"

Atsuyo whispered to the rest, "Only our senpai-tachi had seen him, we—" she pointed at Tatsue, Mai and herself "—had never seen the boy."

"—that brat—"

"You haven't?" asked Oishi. Mai nodded.

Emiko was now poring over her pink notes and was scribbling furiously at them.

"Buchou was really surprised when she got the news that you were going to have a practice game with Kinimoto Gakuen." Said Tatsue, "She said that it was going to be a disaster…"

Seigaku looked at each other.

"How so?" asked Kawamura.

"I dunno. I haven't met them." Said Tatsue, "I've only heard a little from our senpai-tachi."

"—I'm going to _kill _that brat!" Mariko grimaced a little.

"How?" asked Ayashi, "You're not allowed to kill."

"I know."

"…"

"I hate you, Ayashi."

"Mmm… me too. Let's just continue eating, ok? I'm still starving." Ayashi then continued on wolfing down the food served; Mariko glared at her buchou in sheer annoyance, but sighed in defeat after a couple of minutes of shooting glare daggers at Ayashi who seemed to be unperturbed by it.

They continued on eating happily; a mixture of confusion, bewilderment, annoyance, and irritation erupted on Seigaku's minds. It was just then that they realized of how much they lost against Kinigaku; not only that, it also seemed that Daigaku didn't give a damn about it.

Seigaku exchanged shifty looks at each other. It seemed that the Daigaku hadn't been exactly honest with them.

After eating, washing the dishes (yes, washing the dishes) and other miscellaneous stuff to be done, they went back into practicing. However, the talk about Minami Kenichi seemed to affect most of the people, it was only then that Fuji stepped up and asked.

"How did _you_ know about _him_?" Fuji asked suspiciously.

It was Ayashi, Mariko, Jun and Emiko's turn to look at each other alarmingly.

It was Jun who retorted back.

"Oh simple." She said with calmness and blithe that it was sounding a little scary. A horrible smile crept on her lips, "Minami Kenichi is the only brother of our then-captain, Minami Itsuki."

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– obviously, this one was made up. Any connection of sorts with the real world is _purely_ coincidence.

Pelota means "tennis-sized ball", muerte means "death"

A/N: I'd probably, just PROBABLY, not post any fanfictions in the next two weeks since there's this OotP movie I'll be seeing, and the TDH... But don't worry, I'll continue writing at home. :) Even if HPaTDH will end up with OBHWF... and no Luna... noooo

THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO HAD REVIEWED, PUT ON THE "FAVORITES" AND "ALERTS" THE FIC SO FAR!! I LOVE YOU GUYS! MWWWWWAAAAAAAH!!!


	26. Fight

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Chapter 26

Fight

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Seigaku and Daigaku had never talked after the incident. Yes, they still continued working with each other, though it was on a highly… professional (impersonal) way. But the work on the presentation seemed to hasten because they no longer spoke with each other unless it was for the presentation.

It was strange, because after what had happened between some of them, there should've been at least a little slack. But it seemed like no one was going to give way with such trivial things.

Well, except for one person.

A vein pulsated on Ayashi's temple as she watched her fukubuchou and Oishi talk on stage with such sardonic tones.

It was their final practice for the presentation (pretty fast huh?) and the kendo club members were there to act as audience (a note on Inui's notebook indicated that most, if not all, kendo club members looked a little like thugs and/or gangsters), the special group was also there, as well as the other pairs who don't have to do anything yet with the stage presentation. Even the gay-looking guy, Shinichi was there too.

Mariko said her lines in almost a droning, monotonous way that made half the audience fall asleep, while Oishi kept on stuttering and missing some lines (Tezuka and Ayashi had almost memorized the script because they don't want to be outshone by the other… quite competitive, really).

'_The nerves!' _she thought haplessly at the pair onstage. Ayashi had even thought that Tezuka was a lot darned better than the two! She clicked her tongue loudly in distaste at their performance; everyone looked at her. She was glowering at Mariko, and not at Oishi.

"Uh-oh." Emiko gasped quietly, she turned to Jun who sighed. The rest of the kendo club fidgeted nervously.

Oishi stopped talking the moment he saw Tezuka stare at Ayashi, who was staring at Mariko, who stared back at the buchou.

"What?" Mariko snarled. She was obviously in a bad mood, Oishi whirled his head at her. Her nostrils were flaring.

Ayashi frowned, not of sadness, but with irritation.

"Why are you putting personal issues in the presentation?" Ayashi asked with a remarkable air of honesty. Mariko flinched. "Didn't we agree that we'll all be professional in this one?"

Mariko pursed her lips to the point that her mouth seemed to be just a thin line on her face. She was staring angrily at her captain who had seemed to leave the aura of irritation when she had already spoken. She was now calmer, and if possible, Seigaku thought, a not of a little… insane.

"I'm _doing_ my job." Retorted Mariko.

Ayashi stared at her with her big dark blue eyes, "No, you're not."

"Yes, I _am_."

"If you do, then why can't the audience—_I_—feel anything of what you're saying? You're just reading a memorized script, Mariko."

"Of course it would seem like that, Ayashi. I _did_ memorize _my_ part."

"That's stupid." Ayashi commented, she wasn't taking her eyes off Mariko.

"What did you say?" Mariko's voice was now getting louder.

Fuji turned to Jun and Emiko, "Aren't you going to stop them?"

"We can't." answered Emiko simply. Fuji stared at her unbelievingly.

"But—" before Inui could even continue what he was supposed to do, they now heard a board being thrown on the ground.

"SHUT UP! JUST-SHUT-UP!" Mariko had thrown her script.

Ayashi did not tear off her eyes from her fukubuchou, though Tezuka had held her on the shoulder. She was shuddering with anger; on the stage, Oishi too had his arms outstretched before Mariko, who was all red with rage; she has lost her cool at the critique of her buchou.

The two continued to glare at each other. The kendo club remained silent, though they seemed extremely nervous; some had already tumbled down from their chairs, while the others had failed in hiding their miserably shaking hands.

Tatsue's mouth trembled, but she remained silent. Atsuyo and Mai exchanged startled looks.

"Seriously!" Emiko scowled at the two, "Will you two cut it off!"

"We still have lots to do, we can't be late on schedule." Jun smiled blithely, that it was almost creepy.

'_Who in their right mind would smile at times like this?!_' the thought ran on Seigaku's minds. Yep, even Fuji. Seigaku whipped their looks at the tennis tensai who looked at them with a puzzled face. 'Oh yeah, _him_.' They all thought.

Tezuka felt Ayashi's shoulder droop and relax from his grip. It was the first time he had actual physical contact with her, he noted his self. Same went to the two people at the stage.

"Let's just finish this…" Ayashi muttered under her breath, then went back to slump on her chair. Tezuka eyed the girl, basing on the "aura" he was feeling (c'mon, he's a captain too!) it seemed that she wasn't at all pleased at the situation.

On the stage, Oishi couldn't concentrate at his script at all. He was a lot more worried that Mariko would blow up again than them finishing their part. He kept on glancing at her (up to the point that he wasn't even listening to a special number being played that time), as if he's trying to read what she was thinking. Mariko raised a brow.

"What're you looking at?" she asked haughtily. Oishi winced and looked away.

"Nothing." By that, Mariko turned her interest to the group who were now dancing on stage.

He really should thank the special intermission number of the Kikumaru-Sachimi pair or he would've gotten all her attention and another fight might've ensued.

All the while, Seigaku had one thing in mind, even though they didn't know that each of them had also thought so.

For the first time, they had witnessed a fight between the two leaders of Daidouji Gakuen… a pair who they never thought would actually fight.

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A/N: Wow, I actually finished a chapter in two sitting! Yay! Woot!


	27. Is This The End?

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**Chapter 27**

**Is This The End?**

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It was a rather snowy morning for everyone; the sun had already risen although it still seemed dusk at that time. Tiny patches of orange light passed through the thick darkened clouds in the horizon, giving a faint glow, looking a little more ethereal than usual.

Echizen Ryoma couldn't believe his luck… or lack of thereof. He wasn't entirely sure of whether it was because a black cat passed by the route he was taking, or because he had just found his self walking under a ladder, or because he had kept his broken mirror, or because his shoelaces snapped right down the middle while he was walking… then again, it could be just coincidence that he ran into St. Rudolph's tennis club members (he ended up being asked by Mizuki, but knowing Ryoma, he'd probably just annoy Mizuki to death), then was almost chased by some fan-girls, who Ryoma secretly wished would never meet Osakada Tomoka; then he bumped into Sengoku Kiyosumi of Yamabuki, who sort of chased away the fan-girls because of his perverted smile. Sengoku too was with the other members of Yamabuki tennis club; Ryoma almost asked where was Akutsu, but kept himself from doing so.

He walked with Yamabuki until they got bumped into by Hyoutei Gakuen tennis club regulars (along with its 200+ members, whose transportation fee was, of course, paid by no other than Atobe Keigo). Then more fan-girls came, not only because of him though.

Fortunately, Atobe let Yamabuki and Ryoma hitch on their ride (though Sengoku said that they, Yamabuki, were lucky because they bumped into Ryoma); but just as the story went, Ryoma was rather unlucky that time that even Sengoku's "luckiness" couldn't help them.

They stuck in the heavy traffic (yep, early in the morning; Ryoma moaned, saying that he should've just walked.), got flat tires, and all sorts of misfortunes.

But it was weird, somehow, he felt like something good was coming…

"Kawaii!" Sengoku cheered as he saw a couple of young girls walking by the side walk. Ryoma saw the tennis players' heads turn swiftly, he followed.

It was a group of three girls, he couldn't see their faces because they were talking so closely, like they were whispering some sort of super sekrit (nope, not secret, but sekrit) stuff that they don't want anyone to hear. He squinted his eyes a little because he thought he knew someone from them…

The poor form, the wobbly knees, the too relaxed elbows, the super long hair…

"Ryuzaki?"

"Ryuzaki? Wasn't that your coach's name?" Dan asked out of nowhere. Ryoma nodded, then shook his head. "…Eh?"

"That Ryuzaki—" he pointed at the supposed Sakuno, "—is our coach's granddaughter."

"Then let's invite her!" Sengoku exclaimed. Oshitari cocked a brow and coughed. Sengoku turned at him with a surprised look.

"I think Atobe's supposed to decide whether it's OK or not." Atobe waved it off, though. He seemed to be preoccupied with something, the rest of Hyoutei's regulars looked at each other. Sengoku beamed like crazy, "It's OK then—" he slid down the mirror and called out, "—Oi! Ryuzaki-chan! (insert heart here)"

The girls turned around; sure enough, as Ryoma thought, the girl with the longest hair and wobbly knees was Ryuzaki Sakuno. She was accompanied by Osakada Tomoka, and Tachibana Ann; Sengoku opened the door of the vehicle and exited. He talked to the girls with much gusto, he pointed to the car. To Ryoma's surprise, Sakuno frowned when she saw the car and shook her head. Tomoka seemed to be displeased by her friend's decision while Ann just stood there, and said something that might've been in agreement with Sakuno's decision for Tomoka looked like the earth had just shattered right in front of her eyes. Sengoku went back to the car.

At first he was taken aback by Sakuno's refusal to go with them, despite the combined efforts of Tomoka and Yamabuki (Ann wasn't enthusiastic about the idea, she still couldn't forget what Atobe had done) and then Ryoma shrugged. He just remembered that he wasn't in talking terms with her that moment. He then looked at Sengoku's face.

"…" Ryoma fell silent. He didn't know how to react… should he feel sorry because Sengoku looked like he was dumped for the 100th time by different girls (he turned into a pillar of sand, with just one harsh blow…), or should he just drop being nice and laugh his ass off because Sengoku looked… unbelievably funny… hilarious, more of.

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Ryoma felt extremely groggy. It was really cool inside the fixed Atobe automobile, and he should be thankful that classrooms weren't like this, or he'd always fall asleep.

"So where are you going?" Ohtori asked. Ryoma snapped out of his La-La land.

"Daidouji Gakuen." Ryoma and, surprisingly, Sengoku replied. They looked at each other, "You too?" they asked in unison. A surprised look on Ohtori's face was quite readable.

"Ah… I suppose we're all going to see the club presentations?" Oshitari said, as matter of fact. Ryoma had a weird feeling about this…

Why did he feel like things revolved around Daigaku ever since they met those girls?

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His suspicion rose to a different level when upon their entry at Daigaku, he had seen St. Rudolph, Kakkinoki and other private schools they've fought from the last Kantou tournament. Even Ginka was there.

To much of his surprise (and Yamabuki too), Akutsu was there too. Though, he was accompanied by Kawamura and his mother, Yuuki. They didn't stay long enough to talk though because they were already being escorted by a Daigaku student.

It also seemed that some of Rokkaku's and Rikkai's tennis players were there.

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At the "Great Hall" (as hailed by some of the students, because it was rumored to expand when there are more people inside it… of course, this was never proven…), he detached his self from Hyoutei and Yamabuki, and went to where Seigaku was designated. Everyone was staring at him when Sumire took hold of both his cheeks and began to stretch them in an unbelievable way.

Yamabuki silently thanked that they had Banji as their coach, Jirou from Hyoutei thanked that Atobe wasn't anywhere like Tezuka, and Ginka prayed earnestly that they were so thankful they weren't, in any way, like Seigaku.

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When they assembled, Seigaku and Daigaku immediately went to the backstage. The host was the first to present its feature alumna; Ryoma noted that Ayashi and Mariko were talking politely to each other, as if feeling each other's aura or something. It seemed that the shouting match between them still wasn't that much settled; by any means, he was a little grateful that they were, in a way, a little professional when it comes to work.

Seigaku still hasn't sort of forgiven the Daigaku girls for not warning them about the sneaky Kinimoto Gakuen, the sister school of Daidouji Gakuen. If they had only told them beforehand, then they should've done _something_ at the practice match. Ryuzaki had told them that they, Seigaku tennis regulars, should've listened to Inui who told them that they should be careful because he had no idea of how they played.

Even so, the celebration would still continue anyway…

Sakuno peeped a little from the backstage. "Wow… so many people…"

"Uh-huh. People were so interested with tennis nowadays." Said Emiko, who was wearing a red and black lace dress, "Can't blame them… look, fan-girls! Ha, who would've thought that the idiot would actually have fans!" she giggled. Sakuno looked at her. "Oh… I was talking about… never mind it!" she pranced away, lost in her own world, though Ryoma was sure she was just practicing for her intermission number.

"Ugh…" They swiveled their heads to where the sound came from. Tatsue was leaning on the wall, breathing heavily. She looked clammy and she was sweating like mad. She looked sick.

"Tatsue-chan?" Sakuno approached her, but she held out her hand, and then pointed at her face; she was holding her other hand over her mouth. She then almost staggered to the nearest rest room.

Ayashi frowned, "She's still demophobic after all." Sumire turned her gaze at the kendo buchou.

"She's got demophobia? But how could she fight a match in kendo?"

"There's not much people in kendo matches, unlike in presentations like this…" said Jun, who was now fixing the lights and background effects with a computer, "… we've always thought she'd get over that eventually but it seemed that…"

"It just got worse. It was a bad idea making her go with you, Megane-chan." Added a rather pretty looking girl, who was now in a rather semi-formal attire. She was being ogled at by fellow male classmates, she snarled at them.

"Who—"

"Don't ask!" the rest of Daigaku hushed the boys. The girl who just came in was no other than the tomboy, Hanami Mariko.

Jun whispered to them, "It's not always that you could see her in _that_." She pointed at the girl's spangled blue skirt, then at her –gasp!—un-ponytailed hair, she had her hair down in elegant waves that she was no longer recognizable as the unruly and unladylike fukubuchou of the kendo club.

"Kakoii." Ayashi just spoke, "Mariko, you look like a girl!" Mariko turned at Ayashi and gave her a cold stare. A vein was throbbing just right beneath her right eye, and there were black swivels behind her. The rest felt a swooping, shivering, cold chills running through their spines; but Ayashi just continued to ogle at her.

Without any warning whatsoever, Ayashi (now in a rather weird chibi form, ala Ginji when he sees something cute!) jumped at Mariko, who caught her just before Ayashi literally reached her chests. Mariko now held chibi-Ayashi like some kind of stuff toy.

"Oh god, Ayashi." Emiko covered her face; Jun looked away, apparently trying to suffice her laughter. Atsuyo and Mai looked at each other, and then stared at the chibi-Ayashi.

"Weird." They said in unison. Well, one could just imagine the shock that struck Seigaku.

"I thought they were enemies." Momoshiro exclaimed, pointing at Ayashi and Mariko. Jun nodded.

"Yeah, there _were_. But I guess, Ayashi's love for anything that piques her interest weighs a lot more than shouting matches. Just my guess, though."

Girls were really weird.

Ryoma slowly turned his head to look at Sakuno who was just some meters away from him.

Doki.

Sakuno clutched the hem of her skirt. She felt a pair of eyes staring at her.

Doki.

He knew she couldn't forgive him for saying all of those stuff.

Doki.

She'd be really thick to think it would be Ryoma… hadn't they been ignoring each other?

Doki.

He just had to say sorry.

Doki.

If only he'd say sorry…

Doki.

But what if she won't forgive him? All those times he acted so stupid… ignoring her like plague.

Doki.

But what if he'd rather not say it? All those times she acted so lame and uncool…

Doki.

She must hate his guts for being such a cocky, arrogant jerk… but that was who he was!

Doki.

He must hate her for being so lame, so wobbly, so weak, so… uncool, unlike his self.

Doki.

All he did was hurt her.

Doki.

All she did was worship him.

Doki.

It was time that things change.

Doki.

For the better.

Doki.

Take…

Doki.

Step…

Doki.

By…

Doki.

Step…

Doki.

Step by step… try to understand her more…

Doki.

Step by step… try to know the REAL him more…

Doki.

Step by step… reach out at the girl who did nothing but kindness to him…

Doki.

Step by step… search for her own weakness and strength so next time she won't lose.

Doki.

Then…

Doki.

The time will come that he will see her as who she was…

Doki.

The time will come that she will find the REAL him…

Doki. Doki. Doki. Doki…

For a mere split second, they were able to look at each other's eyes, the mystery of the other slowly preparing to be measured... slowly preparing to be unraveled…

Perhaps… then…

"OHAYOU MINNA-SAN!" Mariko and Oishi's voice boomed inside the hall. The rest of Seigaku and Daigaku were on the top box of the backstage, while Ryoma and Sakuno stayed at the main backstage; they heard the large break of applause as the program started.

"I'm sorry…" Ryoma said softly. He wasn't sure if she had heard it because the sound from the stage was deafening. He wouldn't expect her to take it that easily… he was sure he had hurt her to the highest power.

But he was proven wrong.

Her chocolate eyes were teary already. Ryoma panicked what had he done this time?!

He approached her, and for the first time in Sakuno's life, he actually showed that he was worried about her. She wiped her eyes dry and gave him the sweetest, most beautiful smile he had seen… a smile he thought he'd seen once from his mother in a picture that his perverted dad took.

"Arigatou… Ryoma-kun."

One after another applause broke from the audience, but it was no louder than the thumping of the heart, the silent melody of the heart that was quietly being heard by the people at the backstage.

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A/N: So… do you think this is the perfect ending?

Doki heart beat


End file.
